419 scam: "MRS.Elizabeth Gate"<user@direct24-7.com> Greetings!

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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. )
- "certificate 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. )
- "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. )
- "western union" (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. )
- "money gram" (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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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. )
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
- "courier company" (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. )
- "talktofredowen@yahoo.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.
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.
- +2348023871942 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS.Elizabeth Gate" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <talktofredowen@yahoo.cn>
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:40:56 +0200
Subject: Greetings!

--

Greetings!

I have been waiting for you to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft

of $350.000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since

that time. Then I went and deposited the Draft with FEDEX COURIER SERVICE,

West Africa, I travelled out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I

will not come back till end of May. What you have to do now is to

contact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE as soon as possible to know when they

will deliver your package to you because of the expiring date.

For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance

premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not

a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country.

Contact Person:Mr Fred Owen

Email Address:talktofredowen@yahoo.cn

Telephone: 009 234 802 387 1942

The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE to deliver your

Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($190.00 US) Dollars

only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far. Again, don't

be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $190.00US Dollars. I

would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you will

contact them and in case of demurrage.

You are to make the payment to the information below by western union or

money gram.

Receiver Name: Mr Osas Henry

Receiver Address: #10 Old Obasanjo Road Lagos, Nigeria.

Once you forward the necessary details to the Representative Mr Fred Owen

and once your payment is been confirmed by them they will

issued your Tracking Number.

Sender's Name:......................... ..................

Sender's Address:...................... ....................

Amount To be Sent:$190

Text Question to be used: WHO CAN HELP US?

Text Answer: OUR LORD ONLY.

Money Transfer Control Number (M.T.C.N).

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address() and Direct

telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery and ask

them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your package over

there and know when it will get to your address. Let me repeat again, try

to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay

and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $190.00 US Dollars

for their immediate action. You should also let me know through email as

soon as you receive your Draft.

Yours Faithfully,

MRS.Elizabeth Gate

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam