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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: "FedEx Express Delivery Company" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <derek@fedexgroup.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:16:09 -0700
Subject: CONFIRM OWNERSHIP (PARCEL)

 
CONFIRM OWNERSHIP (PARCEL)
 
Dear Valued Customer,
 
We have been waiting for you to contact us for your Confirmable Package that is Deposited 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 which worth of $2,500,000.00 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 six (6) months Surveying Project as he works with a construction firm here in Nigeria West Africa region,We are sending you this email because your package has 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 confirm your information's it will take only TWO (2) Working day (48 hours) for your package to arrive to its designated address.For your information, the VAT & Shipping charges have been paid by your colleague before your package was registered.
 
However, you will have to pay a sum of $180 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 for the Security Keeping charges, but we do not accept such payment considering the facts that all items & packages that is registered with us have a time limitation and we cannot accept payment that is not known to us, so you are to send us your full detail so we can effect you with our own payment information for the delivery of your parcel.
 
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 Express Delivery Post) with the details given below:
 
FedEx Express Delivery Post
Contact Person: Mr.DEREK SIMON
Tel: +234 802 295 5237
Email: derek@fedexgroup.com
 
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:.....................
SEX (M/F):...................
STATE OF ORIGIN:.............
 
Kindly complete the above form and summit it to the delivery manager on:(derek@fedexgroup.com)
 
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 $180, they will not hesitate to dispatch your package as well as the attached letter to your residence,It usually takes 48 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. Christiania Adamson
FedEx Online Team Management

Anti-fraud resources: