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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. John Phillip Lipsky" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <Johnphi12345@qq.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 20:47:17 +0100
Subject: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF)

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND    (IMF)
To Me
Aug 23 at 6:03 PM
From  Mr.  John Phillip Lipsky
First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
 
Attn: Beneficiary!!!
 
We have resolve with our I.M.F branch in Nigeria concerning your unhold payment which was intercepted by our Head Office here in Washington D.C.
 
According to our head Office Director Christine Lagarde, your funds was place on hold for verification considering the huge amount involve and to ensure that the funds has all the supporting documentation that ascertain the purpose of this transfer is not for sponsoring illegal act, based on 9/11 re-amendment, But after our verification we find out you have completed all the necessary obligation due to release your UN-hold transfer, But due to your name appeared twice having a different address and two account number bearing the same name with different account number information we cannot release this transfer until you prove to us that this funds does not belong to two different person having the same name and different account number with the same name.
 
To Ascertain that this transfer being made which was place unhold by our Organization is legitimately yours, you are obligated to provide the following items.
 
1. Amount being transfer
2. Source of the funds
3.Your account number which the funds was transfer into
4.Transfer confirmation Slip
 
Note: This will only give us room to bring justice to this matter, failure to prove correctly will also give us the room to confiscate the funds as a money meant for sponsoring illegal act.
 
You are advised to desist from contacting anyone including your agent or representative in these regard, International Monetary Fund has taken full responsibility to release your funds transfer being made once you provide the aforementioned information to enable us know the right account number this funds is releasing to.
 
Thanks in Anticipation Corperation
 
 
Mr.  John Phillip Lipsky
First Deputy Director

Anti-fraud resources: