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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Baldwin Edward" <edwardbaldwin26@nsk.biz>
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2008 16:35:33 +0100
Subject: YOUR URGENT CONTACT TO UNIVERSAL EXPRESS


*Dear Friend,

Compliment of the day to you and your family. I have been waiting for you
since to come down here and pick your Cheque which my boss left with me on
his departure to England but I did not hear from you since that time till
today. I went to the bank to confirm whether the Cheque is getting close to
expire as it has been long time my boss issued the Cheque. The director of
the bank told me that before the draft will get to you that it will expire.
Then I told him to help me and cash the Cheque worth of $1.500.000.00 to
cash payment.

However, I have successfully cashed the draft and packaged it in a box and
have registered it in the Universal Express Courier Service* *here in Benin
Republic because I will travel to see my boss in England and will not come
back till December 20th 2008. You have to contact the Universal Express
Courier Service* *to know when they will deliver your package to your
address. I have paid for the delivering charges and insurance fees.

The only money you have to send to them is their security keeping fees which
is USD$125.00 USD to receive your package. Don't be deceived by any body.

This is their Contact Address:*
*Attn: Chief Mr. George Kobra*
*(Director Universal Express Courier Service* *)
Tel/Fax: +229-93843698
E-mail: universal-express@live.fr*


*Send them your contacts information to enable them locate you immediately
they arrived in your country with your package.

This is the information they needed from you.
1. Your full name:.....
2. Your shipping/home address:.....
3. Your tel no #......
4. Your current office tel no #
5. A copy of your passport.

Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid the weekly incensement of
the security keeping fee.

Note; I didn't tell the Universal Express Courier Service* *that it's money
inside the box, I registered it as a box of a Church Minister Materials.
This is to avoid delay or any upfront problem during the delivery. So, do
not let them know that the package contains money.*
*
Do let me know as soon as you received your package. You will contact me
only through e-mail as my phone is no longer available now that I am out
from our country. Contact me at *

*edwardbaldwin@o2.pl<http://us.mc573.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=edwardbaldwin@o2.pl>
*,* I may not be able to respond to you urgent but I will get back to you
whenever I checked my email.


Thanks and Remain Blessed.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Edward Baldwin
(Secretary*

**

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