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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

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.
• 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 ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "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. )
  • "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. )
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• 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.
  • f_deliveryservice@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.Vanessa Glaster" <info@massageboad.com>
Reply-To: f_deliveryservice@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 20:24:00 -0500
Subject: I Will Be Out Of Town , Please Contact FeDex Now!!

Greetings

,

Please make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and other contact of


yours.



I have been waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirm able

Bank Draft of $800.000.00 United States Dollars which i promised you, but

I did not hear from you since that time. Then I went and deposited the

Draft with FEDEX COURIER SERVICE, West Africa, I will travel out of the

country for a Month Course and I will not come back till end of March.

What you have to do now is to contact the FED EX 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.





The only money you will send to the FED EX COURIER SERVICE to deliver

your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($250.00 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

$250.00US 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 have

to contact the FED EX COURIER SERVICE now for the delivery of your Draft

with this information bellow.



Contact Person: Mr. Jeff Smith

Email: f_deliveryservice@hotmail.com



Please make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address and direct

Telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery.

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 $250.00 US Dollars for their immediate action. You should

also let me know through email as soon as you receive your Draft.



Yours Faithfully,



Mrs. Vanessa Glaster.


___________________________________________________________

Fidelity Communications Webmail - http://webmail.fidnet.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam