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: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 20:32:11 +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