419 scam: "INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND $IMF$" <info.office222@yahoo.cn> IMF Tax Certificate and IMF Insurance Certificate/Urgent with this matter,

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "mtcn" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "info.larrymusa01@yandex.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND $IMF$" <info.office222@yahoo.cn>
Reply-To: info.larrymusa01@yandex.com
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 20:07:06 +0800 (CST)
Subject: IMF Tax Certificate and IMF Insurance Certificate/Urgent with this matter,

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY
(F.C.T.)
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY
FUND
23 HERBERT MARCULARY
AVENUE
COTONOU-BENIN
REPUBLIC

Attn Please.

I am Director Chief Dr. Larry Musa,
a highly placed
official officer of the International Monetary Fund, Cotonou, Benin republic in
West Africa (I.M.F). I went to the Western Union this morning to examine
exactly what is going on about the documents we request from you to enable us
permit the Western Union Office to release the payment to you and Dr. Philip
Desmond the Western Union Operation Manager told me that you called them
Scammer. Is that true? I'm a highly placed official officer in I.M.F Office
Benin republic and I stand hereby telling you that they are not Scammer. I know
them as Western Union Money Transfer Office (WUMTO) .

We are International Monetary Fund
unit, Cotonou-Benin republic and we monitor every transaction in Benin republic.
So, when we discovered that Dr. Philip Desmond wanted to start transferring
payment funds to you we then put everything that they are doing on hold and
asked them to provide you or they will be arrested, Dr. Philip Desmond told us
that you are in abroad and it's difficult for you to come over here &Sign
the Document.

So that was reason why we gave you
the $49 to pay & sign the document to enable us allow the Western
Union,Cotonou- Benin republic to start transferring the funds to
you.

The bill of $49 that they asked you
to pay is because Dr. Philip said that you can't be able to trip down here and
sign the IMF Tax Certificate and IMF Insurance Certificate so that was the
reason why we gave you the two option either to pay the $49 for we to paid our
Attorney to sign the documents or you come down here and sign the documents with
your hands.

The $49 is to enable our Attorney
Sign the Document for your behalf and start releasing your fund to you Via
Western Union since you can not be able to come down here and sign the Document
By your Self, So go and send the Signing Attorney fee to start releasing your
payment to you Via Wstern Union today,,

looking forward to hear from you
with the payment Detail of the $49 if you can not be able to come down here in
Bein and sign the Document,

We are looking forward to hear from
you with the payment Detail of the $49 BY WESTERN UNION ONLY.

Receiver's:--Name: Onyekachi James
Country:----Benin
Republic.
City:
------Cotonou
Text
Question:--One
Text
Answer:--Day
Amount:-------$49.00
MTCN
Number#,......
Sender's
Name:.......

We are looking forward to hear from
you.
Thank
you.
Director: Chief Dr. Larry Musa

I.M.F. (International Monetary
Funds.
Contact: info.larrymusa01@yandex.com

Official Officer Of I.M.F.
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
(IMF)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam