419 scam: "FedEx Online Team West Africa" <info@fedex.org> Attn:

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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. )
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.
- +2348060472756 (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.courier1943@yahoo.com.hk (Yahoo, Hong Kong; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "FedEx Online Team West Africa" <info@fedex.org>
Reply-To: fedex.courier1943@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 00:18:07 +0930 (CST)
Subject: Attn:

Dear Customer!

We have been waiting for you to contact us for your Confirmed 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 know 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, 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 consultant firm in
Nigeria West Africa 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 confirm your information, it will
take only one working day (24 hours) for your package to arrive it's
designated destination. For your information, the VAT & Shipping
charges as well as Insurance fees have been paid for by your
colleague before your package was registered. Note that the payment
that is made on the Insurance, Premium & Clearance Certificates, 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 the sum of $210USD 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
fee, but we do not accept such payment considering the facts that all
items & package that are registered with us have a time limitation and
we cannot accept payment not knowing when you will be contacting us
for your 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 your 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 Online Delivery Post
Contact Person: DANIEL J. NICOLE
Email:fedex.courier1943@yahoo.com.hk
Tel: +234-8060472756

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:

Kindly complete the above form and summit it to the delivery manager
on: fedex.courier1943@yahoo.com.hk

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 Fee. As soon as they confirm your payment
receipt of $210USD, they will not hesitate to dispatch your package as
well as the attached letter to your residence.
It usually takes 24 hours being an overnight 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 fix his phone yet. We indeed personally sealed
your Bank Draft and we found your email contact in the receivers
column 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.

Do not reply this email because this email account is not
monitored. Send your details to fedex.courier1943@yahoo.com.hk

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Margaret Blaire.
FedEx Online Team Management.
All rights reserved. © 1995-2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This E-mail is only for the above addresses. It may contain
confidential or Privileged information. If you are not an addressee
you must not copy, distribute, disclose or use any of the information
in it or any attachments.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDEX INTL>>>LICENSE OF FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam