419 scam: "US Customs" <cbpus@cruzio.com> Are You Aware of this?

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. )
- "tax clearance" (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. )
- "the consignment" (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)
- "trunk box" (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)
- "consignment " (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)
- "trunk boxes" (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)
- "million united states dollars" (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)
- "the diplomat " ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "US Customs" <cbpus@cruzio.com>
Reply-To: cbpdfw@terra.com
Date: Fri, 07 Oct 2016 23:30:20 +0200
Subject: Are You Aware of this?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport,
3200 E Airfield Dr, Dallas, TX 75261

Urgent Attention:

I am Cleatus P Hunt the Deputy Chief of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Dallas Fort Worth). We have just intercepted two (2) trunk boxes at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and are on the verge of moving it to our CBP head quarters.

We found out the consignment boxes contained a total sum of $7.8 Million United States Dollars also with some backup documents that bears your name as the receiver of the money. Investigations carried out on the diplomat who accompanied the boxes into the United States has it that he was to deliver this fund to your residence as your contract / inheritance payment which was due you from the office of finance Minster of the federal government of Nigeria.

We cross-checked all legal documentation in the consignment boxes, and were about to release the consignment boxes to the diplomat, when we found out that the consignment boxes lacked some vital certificates which results to your consignment boxes confiscation until the required certificate is obtain by you for final clearance and onward delivery of your consignment boxes to your residence address.

According to section 229 subsections 31 of the 1991 constitution on release of unclaimed consignment payment, your consignment lacks funds Certificate of Legality and Tax Clearance Certificate and for that reason you must contact me for direction on how to procure this certificate, so that your consignment boxes can be legally release from our storage vault for onward delivery to your address.

You are required to contact this office within 72 hours or we would take it that you do not want your consignment, and would move it to the treasury Also, you must not contact any other individual or organization for any payment, because your consignment boxes are already here in our storage vault and will be released to you once you follow my directives.

Please respond to this message with your details such as {1} Address: {2} Cell Phone and Home Phone Numbers: {4} Age and Occupation, for further proceedings of your consignment boxes clearance and delivery to your address.

Regards,
Cleatus P Hunt
Director CBP DFW Airport

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam