419 scam: "FedEx"<fedexdeliverys@fedex.com> Confirm your package with us

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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:
- "demurrage fee" (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. )
- "demurrage " (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. )
- "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. )
- "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)
- "we advice you" (this email uses bad English)
- "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
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: "FedEx" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <forstmrk@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:59:37 +0100
Subject: Confirm your package with us

ATTN: Parcel Beneficiary.

Valued Customer,

I am writing to inform you that a man by name Mr. Fletcher Wilcox has informed us that you authorized him to provide an address for the delivery of your parcel containing a visa card worth ($800,000.00USD) and also pay the demur-rage fee accrued by your parcel so far. We have contacted you severally about this but you never responded. I am doing this again and if we do not receive any response from you then we will assume you are not on seat, and that you authorized your friend so then we will proceed with the delivery of your parcel to the nominated address by your friend as hereunder VIZ:

Full Name:-- Mr. Fletcher Wilcox
Nominated Address:-- 227 Elk Creek Road Oxford, PA 19363
Email: fletchwilcox@att.net (this is the email he has been using to contact us)

Do inform if the information stated above is correct/incorrect or if you didn't authorized such delivery, then we advice you make the payment for the demurrage fee of you parcel so far and provide us with a comprehensive contact information of yours to enable us dispatch your parcel.

Go ahead in making the payment in favor of our Account Officer Mr. Ben Martins, with the payment info bellow via Money Gram or Western Union.

Receiver's Name: Ben Martins
Address: Lagos, Nigeria
Text Question: Color of sky?
Text Answer: Blue.
Amount: $220.51c USD Only.

NB: Your telephone number is very important to us for the sake of this delivery because we shall be contacting you immediately your parcel is dispatched from here. I advice that you make the payment and send to us a scanned copy of the payment slip/info to enable us add your parcel amongst the list of parcels to be dispatched tomorrow.

Treat as urgent.

Signed,

Mr. Mark Forster
[Manager, Delivery Department]

For:

FEDEX MANAGEMENT.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam