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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: Ms Renee Hill <ummusalmaharuna201919@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrsreneeh5@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:36:11 -0700
Subject: Dear Fund Beneficiary,

FROM THE DESK OF MRS. RENEE HILL
(HQ1): International Monetary Fund, 700 19th Street,
NW Washington, D.C. 20431 USA.
REF-US/429/DC/23

Dear Fund Beneficiary,

This is to intimate you of a very important information which will be
of a great help to redeem you from all the difficulties you have been
experiencing in getting your long over due payment due to excessive
demand for money from you by both corrupt Bank officials and Courier
Companies after which your fund remain unpaid to you. I'm Mrs. Renee
Hill. a highly placed official of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF). It may interest you to know that reports have reached our
office by so many correspondences on the uneasy way which people like
you are treated by Various Banks and Courier Companies across Europe
to Africa and Asia and we have decided to put a stop to that and that
is why I was appointed to handle your transaction here in Nigeria. All
Governmental and Non-Governmental prostates, NGOs, Finance Companies,
Banks, Security Companies and Courier companies which have been in
contact with you of late have been instructed to back up from your
transaction and you have been advised NOT to respond to them anymore
since the IMF is now directly in charge of your payment. You are
hereby advised NOT to remit further payment to any institutions with
respect to your transaction as your fund will be transferred to you
directly from our source. I hope this is clear. Any action contrary to
this instruction is at your own risk. Respond to this e-mail on
(mrsreneeh5@gmail.com) with immediate effect and we shall give you
further details on how your fund will be released. Also reply to me as
soon as you receive this email so that you will be given an immediate
response.

Respectfully,
Mrs. Renee Hill.
Office of Public Affairs

Anti-fraud resources: