419 scam: "Barr Alfred Morris"<no-reply@imf.com> YOUR INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND.

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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. )
- "money gram" (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. )
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
- "imffoundation@qq.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: "Barr Alfred Morris" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <imffoundation@qq.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2018 05:43:35 -0800
Subject: YOUR INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND.

I.M.F WORLD REGULATORY OFFICE
International Monetary Fund,
SWIFT: IMFDUS3WXXX
Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
Saturdays, Sundays: 12:30 p.m to 3:30 p.m
holidays*: closed.

Attention: Beneficiary,

I am Barr Alfred Morris the Financial Counselor and Director Monetary and Capital Markets Department, (I.M.F). I'm a highly placed official of the International Monetary Fund (I.M.F).

Note. Due to the global financial crisis rocking the American's, Africa, Asian and European Countries, we the (I.M.F) International Monetary Fund conducted an investigation at the Western Union Headquarters and the Money Gram Headquarters in America with the assistance of the United States FBI and the CIA. We wish to inform you that during our investigation process at the Western Union Headquarters and the Money Gram Headquarters, your name was found among the scam victims that sent out money through western union to other countries without receiving anything in return rather all you got was a empty promises of your funds release.

So therefore, the World Bank has approved the total sum of $6,500,000.00 (Six Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ) only to your name and the approved fund is ready for immediate payout to you as a compensation, but you will have to pay $165usd for CLAIMS AFFIDAVIT and $185usd for IRREVOCABLE PAYMENT CLEARANCE papers, so the total amount you are to pay is $165 + $185 = $350usd only, and that is the only fee requested and your compensation funds would be release to you with immediate effect. Note among the 35 scam victims that was approved to receive the compensation funds, 19 scam victims has been paid $6,500,000.00usd each and you are the next victims to be paid on the list.

But surprisingly yesterday, we received a message from a man who identify himself as Mr. Patrick Edward, he claims to be your cousin, and he told us that you are dead, and he wants the approved compensation fund to be release into his personal bank account stated below, and Mr. Patrick Edwards also agreed to pay the $350usd requested for the CLAIMS AFFIDAVIT and the IRREVOCABLE PAYMENT CLEARANCE papers of your compensation fund.

========================
Bank Name: 1st Mariner Bank.
Bank Address: 201 W Baltimore Street. Baltimore, MD 21201
Name of Account Holder: Patrick B. Edward.
Account Number: #473-843-8484
Routing Number: #897-900
========================

But due to our intelligence and experiences, we dishonor Mr. Patrick Edward request, because we need to be 100% sure that you are dead before we can proceed on releasing the funds into your cousin bank account stated above, so whereby send you this message to confirm if truly you are dead or alive, and your failure to respond back to this message within the next 48hours will leave us with no doubt but to believe that you are dead according to Mr. Patrick Edward and we will go ahead with the fund release to Mr. Patrick Edward account after the receipt of the $350usd payment from him, but if you are still alive and you receive this message, quickly get back to me via this email address: imffoundation@qq.com
You are advised to respond back with the details required below.

Your Full Name:..............
Home Address:..................
Direct Telephone Number:..............
Age:....................................
Occupation:...............................

Best Regard,
Barr Alfred Morris,
Financial Counselor and Director
Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF.
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam