419 scam: FedEx Service Rep <customer_services@fedex.com> (no subject)

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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)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "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. )
- "diplomaticserv5956@att.net" (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.
- +2348036109994 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: FedEx Service Rep <customer_services@fedex.com>
Reply-To: diplomaticserv5956@att.net
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 14:16:13 +0800
Subject:

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 to us 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 Diplomatic Agent for immediate dispatchment of your
package to your residencial address.

Note that as soon as our Diplomatic Agent confirms your informations, 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 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 a sum of $170 to the FedEx Diplomatic Agent 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 not knowing 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 the foremost package, we may refer the package
to the British Commission for Welfare as the package do not have a
return address. Kindly contact our Diplomatic Agent with the details
given below:

DIPLOMATIC AGENT/FEDEX COURIER
Contact Person: Mr Bruce Hoek
Email : diplomaticserv5956@att.net
TEL: +234 803 610 9994

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 our Diplomatic Agent.
As soon as your details are received, our Diplomatic Agent will give you
the neccessary payment procedure so that you can effect the payment for the
Security Keeping Fees. As soon as he confirms your payment receipt of the
$170, he will not hesitate to dispatch your package as well as the attahced
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 fix his 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 our Diplomatic Agent
with the email address given above and ensure to fill the above form as
well to enable a successful reconfirmation.

Sincerely,

Merissa Braschler.
FedEx Customer Service Rep.
All rights reserved. @ 1995-2010
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This E-mail is only for the above addressees. 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.

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