419 scam: "Fedex Courier Company" <info@fedex.com> Dear Customer!

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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:
- "clearance certificate" (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. )
- "security keeping 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. )
- "clearance certificate" (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)
- "cheques " (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. )
- "cashgrant_remittance009@w.cn" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "cashgrant_remittance009@w.cn" (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.
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.
- +2348065701032 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Fedex Courier Company" <info@fedex.com>
Reply-To: cashgrant_remittance009@w.cn
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:01:28 +0800
Subject: Dear Customer!

CONFIRM OWNERSHIP(PARCEL)

Dear Customer!

We have been waiting for you to contact us for your Confirmable Package
that is registered with us for shipping to your residential location. We had
thought that your sender gave you our contact details. It may interest you
to note that a letter is also added to your package. However, we cannot
quote its content to you via email for Privacy reasons we understand that
the content of your package itself is a Bank Draft worth of $800,000.00
USD. As you know, FedEx do not ship money in CASH or in CHEQUES
but Bank Drafts are shippable.

The package is registered with us for mailing by your colleague, and your
colleague explained that he is from the United States but he is here in
Nigeria for a three (3) months Surveying Project as he works with a
construction firm in the Nigeria West Africa region, We are sending you
this email because your package is been registered on a Special Order.

What you have to do now, is to contact our Delivery Department for
immediate dispatch of your package to your residential address. Note
that as soon as our Delivery Team confirms your information's will take
only one working day (24 hours) for your package to arrive its designated
address. For your information, the VAT & Shipping charges as well as
Insurance fees have been paid by your colleague before your package
was registered. Note that the payment that is made on the Insurance,
Premium & Clearance Certificates, you are to certify that the Bank Draft
is not a Drug Affiliated Fund (DAF) neither is it funds to sponsor Terrorism
in your country. This will help you avoid any form of query from the
Monetary Authority of your country. However, you will have to pay a sum
of $286.00 USD to the FedEx Delivery Department being full payment for
the Security Keeping Fee of the FedEx Company as stated in our privacy
terms & condition page. Also be informed that your colleague wished to
pay having known not when you will be picking up the package or even
responding to us. So we cannot take the risk to have accepted such
payment incase of any possible demurrage.

Kindly note that your colleague did not leave us with any further
information we hope that you respond to us as soon as possible because
if you fail to respond until the expiry date of this package, we may refer
the package to the British Commission for Welfare as the package do not
have a return address. Kindly contact the delivery department (FedEx
Delivery Post) with the details given below: FedEx Delivery Post Contact
Person:

Mr. Tom Cole
Email:cashgrant_remittance009@w.cn
Tel: +2348065701032
Kindly complete the below form and send it to the email address given
above. This is mandatory to reconfirm your Postal address and telephone
numbers.

FULL NAMES:...
TELEPHONE:..
POSTAL ADDRESS:..
CITY:..
STATE:..
COUNTRY:..
OCCUPATION:..

Kindly complete the above form and summit it to the delivery manager on:
cashgrant_remittance009@w.cn

As soon as your details are received, our delivery team will give you the
necessary payment procedure so that you can effect the payment for the
Security Keeping Fees. As soon as they confirm your payment of
$286.00 US, they will not hesitate to dispatch your package as well as
the attached letter to your residence. It usually takes 24 hours being an
over night delivery service. Note that we were not instructed to email you,
but due to the high priority of your package we had to inform you as your
sender did not leave us with his phone number because he stated that he
just arrived Nigeria and he hasn't got any phone yet. We indeed
personally sealed your Bank Draft and we found your email contact in the
attached letter as the recipient of the foremost package. Ensure to
contact the delivery department with the email address given above and
ensure to fill the above form as well to enable a successful reconfirmation.

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Mary Gary.
FedEx Online Team Management

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam