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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348023882462 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • fedex_courier4@myway.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "FEDEX COURIER" <fedex_courier117@biz.by>
Reply-To: fedex_courier_53@myway.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:55:59 +0300
Subject: FedEx Nigeria Head Office


FedEx Nigeria Head Office
70 International Airport Road Mafoluku,
Lagos. Tel:.+234-8023882462
Date: 10/07/2008

Customers Service Hours--Monday to Saturday: Office Hours Monday to
Saturday:

Attention, Attention, Attention.

FedEx provides access to a growing global market place through a network of
supply chain, transportation, business and related information services.The
FedEx courier Service Company is hereby passing an essential message to all
our
valuable customers to be very careful while presenting their
Receivers/Residential Address to avoid wrong delivery.
Authoritatively, this is the FedEx courier service company mailing you in
respect of your parcel that was brought to this company to be delivered to
you
by one Mrs. Sandra Williams a fiduciary agent. Before the delivery protocols
commenced, there was a misunderstanding between you and the National
Insurance
Corporation of Nigeria (NICON) over the Insurance Certificate which caused
the
delay of you receiving your parcel for the past year.

Meanwhile we are happy to inform you that the FedEx has finalized everything
with the (NICON) and subsequently approved yours among the 24 valuable
parcels
to be courier after the released of the parcels from the (NICON) We are
happy to
inform you once again that your parcel that contains a cheque worth $2
Million
is among the 24 parcel?s listed which is now in our office and also with
your
name as the receiver but we want you to re-confirm you postal address where
your
parcel can be delivered to you without hesitation.

REPLY TO THE DISPATCHED DEPARTMENT VIA THE BELOW E-MAIL:
fedex_courier4@myway.com

Be informed that the sender Mrs. Sandra Williams the (FIDUCIARY AGENT) still
owes us the sum of $150 before the incident occurred and we wish to notify
you
that we spent some money in the process of recovering back your parcel but
still, We once again appreciate your patronage.

With due respect, you are hereby advice to pay for just the balance left by
your
sender and do send the $150 remaining via western union money so that your
parcel can be delivered to your residential address before it attracts demur

rage.

We assure you that your parcel will arrive your country within 3 days as
soon as
we receive the payment information to pick up the fee we required and do not
forget to re-confirm your postal address upon delivery of your parcel to
your
door step.

The air ways bill prepared and the tracking number will be sent to you as
soon
as we confirm payment to register your parcel in our data base for delivery
and
be informed that we are competent in discharge of our duties. FedEx couriers
Service hereby inform all their customers to be at alert especially with all
sorts of scam mails that might be coming to you globally. Be careful with
their
e-mails so that your parcel will not be in danger with their evil planes.

PAYMENT INFORMATION OFFICE

SENDERS NAME-------YOURS

RECEIVERS NAME------JOHN WILLIAMS

SENDERS COUNTRY----- YOURS

RECEIVERS COUNTRY----LAGOS NIGERIA.

TEXT QUESTION------------WHO IS OUR SAVIOUR.

TEXT ANSWER---------------JESUS

AMOUNT TO BE PAID---------$150

ALSO SEND 10 DIGITS MTCN NUMBER FROM WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.

FedEx is one of the world's great success stories, the start-up that
revolutionized the delivery of packages and information. In the past 30
years,
we've grown up and grown into a diverse family of companies? -a FedEx that?s
bigger,stronger, better than ever.

YOURS AFFECTIONATELY.
Mr.Sam Brown

FedEx COURIER MANAGING DIRECTOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam