419 scam: "selena" <selena@selena.net.ua> URGENT =?UTF-8?Q?ATTENTION!!!=E2=80=8F?=

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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:
- "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. )
- "security keeping 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. )
- "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. )
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "cheques " (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 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.
- +2347040176261 (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.
- barr-russellbrown@hotmail.com (Hotmail; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "selena" <selena@selena.net.ua>
Reply-To: barr-russellbrown@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 00:51:44 +0000
Subject: URGENT =?UTF-8?Q?ATTENTION!!!=E2=80=8F?=

CONFIRM OWNERSHIP (PARCEL)
Dear Customer!

We have been waiting for you to contact us for your Confirmable Package
that is registered with us for shipping to your residential location. We had
thought that your sender gave you our contact details. It may interest you to
note that a letter is also added to your package. However, we cannot quote
its content to you via email for Privacy reasons we understand that the
content of your
package itself is a Bank Draft which worth over $800,000.00.usd As you know,
FedEx do not ship money in CASH or in CHEQUES but Bank Drafts are
shippable.

The package is registered with us for mailing by your colleague, and your
colleague explained that he is from the United States but he is here in
Nigeria for three (3) months Surveying Project as he works with a construction
firm in the
Nigeria West Africa region, We are sending you this email because your package
is been registered on a Special Order.What you have to do now, is to contact
our Delivery Department for immediate dispatch of your package to your
residential address.Note that as soon as our Delivery Team confirms your
information's will take only one working day (24 hours) for your package to
arrive its designated address.

For your information, the VAT & Shipping
charges as well as Insurance fees have been paid by your colleague before
your package was registered. Note that the payment that is made on the
Insurance,Premium & Clearance Certificates, you are to certify that the Bank
Draft
is not a Drug Affiliated Fund (DAF) neither is it funds to sponsor Terrorism
in your country. This will help you avoid any form of query from the Monetary
Authority of your country. However, you will have to pay a sum of $206.00 USD
to the FedEx Delivery Department being full payment for the Security Keeping
Fee of the FedEx Company as stated in our privacy terms & condition page. Also
be informed that your colleague wished to pay for the
Security Keeping charges, but we do not accept such payment considering the
facts that all items & packages that is registered with us having a time
limitation and we cannot accept payment having known not when you will be
picking up the package or even responding to us.

So we cannot take the risk to have accepted such payment incase of any
possible demurrage.
Kindly note that your colleague did not leave us with any further
information we hope that you respond to us as soon as possible because if you
fail to respond until the expiry date of this package, we may refer the
package to the British
Commission for Welfare as the package do not have a return address. Kindly
contact the delivery department (FedEx Delivery Post) with the details given
below: FedEx
Delivery Post Contact Person:

Mr.Russell Brown
Tel: +234-7040176261
Email: barr-russellbrown@hotmail.com
Kindly complete the below form and send it to the email address given above.
This is mandatory to reconfirm your Postal address and telephone numbers.

FULL NAMES:...
TELEPHONE:..
POSTAL ADDRESS:..
CITY:..
STATE:..
COUNTRY:..

Kindly complete the above form and summit it to the delivery manager
on:barr-russellbrown@hotmail.com As soon as your details are received, our
delivery team will give you the necessary payment procedure so that you can
effect the payment for the Security Keeping Fees. As soon as they confirm
your
payment of $206.00 USD, they will not hesitate to dispatch your
package as well as the attached letter to your residence. It usually takes 24
hours being an
over night delivery service. Note that we were not instructed to email
you, but due to the high priority of your package we had to inform you as your
sender
did not leave us with his phone number because he stated that he just arrived
Nigeria and he hasn't got any phone yet. We indeed personally sealed your
Bank Draft and we found your email contact in the attached letter as the
recipient
of the foremost package. Ensure to contact the delivery
department with the email address given above and ensure to fill the
above form as well to enable a successful

reconfirmation.

Yours Faithfully,

Mrs Mary Wallison
FedEx Online Team Management

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam