419 scam: "Mrs. Jennifer Brown" <smithfbiagent.smithfbiagent@yahoo.com> Dear Beneficiary,

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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:
- "demurrage " (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. )
- "activation 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. )
- "dear beneficiary," (this SPAM email was probably sent to thousands of people)
- "diplomatic agent" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
- "fedexcservice@live.com" (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.
- +22999537575 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Jennifer Brown" <smithfbiagent.smithfbiagent@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: fedexcservice@live.com
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:17:30 +0300 (EAT)
Subject: Dear Beneficiary,

Dear Beneficiary,

How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? This is to
bring to your notice that because of the impossibility of your fund
transfer through the western union network, we have credited your total
sum of $1.5millon valid fund into an ATM MASTER CARD and I have paid the
re-activation fee and the delivery of the ATM Card To you, I paid it
because the ATM Card worth of $1.5millon which I have registered for
delivery yesterday has less than 12 days to expire in the custody of the
FedEx Company and when it expires, the money will go into Federal
Government treasury account.

With that we decided to help you pay off the money so that the ATM Card
will not expire, because I trust that when you receive your ATM Card
definitely you must pay me back my money and even compensate me for
helping you.

I was calling the telephone number you provided then, but unavailable to
confirm if you still living in your formal address in for the registration
of the ATM Card.

Now I want you to contact FedEx Express Delivery with your physical
address you desire the delivery to be made so that they can deliver your
ATM Card to your designated address without any delay.

Like I stated earlier, the crediting re-activation, delivery and the
company registration charges has been paid by me, but I did not pay their
official keeping fees since they refused, they refused and the reason is
that they do not know when you are going to contact them and the demurrage
might have increased by then, They told me that their keeping fees is $35
per day only, and I deposited it yesterday being 19th September, 2012:

Below is the Contact Information of the FedEx, Express Customer Service
Director Mr. James Martins Park, and Email Address online:

(fedexcservice@live.com) Tel: PHONE Call +229 9953 7575 Contact them now
and also send them the security official keeping charge to avoid increase
of their fees and let me know once you receive your ATM card,

RECEIVERS Name========Mrs. Chinaka Anthony Nze,
COUNTRY ============BENIN REPUBLIC
CITY===========COTONOU
TEXT QUESTION=====HOW LONG?
ANSWER===============TODAY
AMOUNT=============$70

Important Notice: Your ATM CARD package is rapped with pin code paper
together with the instructions from the issuing bank on how you will be
using the card to withdraw your fund daily and I registered it as gift so
that the diplomatic Agent will not know the content of your package okay.

Best Regards

Mrs. Jennifer Brown

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