419 scam: "Timi Williams,"<rtm.williamsfdfe43@gmail.com> Did you Authorized this change?

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "courier service" (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)
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.
- +2348085430886 (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.
- info@speedway-courier.uk.pn (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Timi Williams," (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rtm.williams@qq.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 09:39:49 +0100
Subject: Did you Authorized this change?

Speed Ways Courier Service.
#13-15 Airport Road, Lagos Nigeria.
Phone: Direct line: +234 808 543 0886.
Email: info@speedway-courier.uk.pn
Website: www.speedway-courier.uk.pn

Dear Sir,

we received a parcel from the Personal assistant to Dr. Johnson C. Kuke a senior staff with the federal ministry of finance in Nigeria containing a United bank for Africa (UBA) Visa ATM debit card with face value of $6.5 Million for immediately delivery to One Mr. George Robinson of 165 ESSEX AVE, #409 METUCHEN, NJ 08840 USA.

I checked the parcel containing the ATM card for verification while doing final departure scanning on the parcel but was surprised to see your name on the card and on the original form filled by the personal assistant to Mr. Johnson C. Kuke who brought the card to our office before Mr. Kuke himself called us and insist that we change the receivers address to the one belonging to Mr. George Robinson from USA.

Mr. Kuke did not provide enough convincing evidence why he want us to changed the original receivers address he only told me that you are the one that asked him to redirect the delivery to Mr. Robinson with the address mentioned above,to avoid any mistake or error i decided to send this email to you to be sure that indeed you ordered the parcel to be delivered to Mr. George Robinson, respond immediately so that i will stop action towards dispatching the card to Mr. Robinson if you did not authorize the change of receivers/consignee address as stated by Dr.Johnson C. Kuka.

Regards,
Timi Williams,
Operations Manager.
Speed Ways Courier Service.
Direct line: +234 808 543 0886.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam