419 scam: "Mrs.\"Steve Carrielee\"" <tfdepartmentng@9.cn> Fedex Courier Service, West Africa

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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. )
- "insurance 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. )
- "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. )
- "western union" (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. )
- "mtcn" (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. )
- "money transfer control number" (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. )
- "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
- "headquater" (this email uses bad English)
- "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. )
- "cotonou" (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.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.\"Steve Carrielee\"" <tfdepartmentng@9.cn>
Reply-To: internationinter.2@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:38:42 +0900 (KST)
Subject: Fedex Courier Service, West Africa

Fedex
Courier Service,
West
Africa
Cotonou Benin
Republic,
20 Arp,
2011

CPEL/OWN/9876

Parcel No
EG2272.

Attn: Sir/

With all due respect, I Mr.Frederick W.
Smith (Chief
Executive Officer)
have been awaiting for you to contact me for the delivery of
your Bank
Draft of $1,5000,000 USD. You
can as well come down to this branch to pick up your package or even send
someone to pick it up on your behalf. More so, the phone number works perfectly
and I will advise you cross the number again as it is below this
mail.

The MTN GRAND PROMOTION
deposited it to us last week to place your Bank
Draft on out going delivery, They already paid for the insurance fee and
the delivery charges. But They did not pay for the security keeping fee due to
the fact that we did not know when you will be contacting us via mail to inform
us that we have your check, so we advised Them not to pay for the security
keeping fee of the courier company so far but we informed Them to contact you on
time so you will not have to pay more than the security keeping fee of $100, 00 on demurrage and we do not operate cost on delivery
(C.O.D) on a charge like this.

All you need to do right now to get your
Bank Draft delivered to your door step, is to go ahead and pay the security
keeping fee of the courier company so far.The fee that you are to pay is only
$100.00 for the security keeping fee, for proper
confirmation on the fee you are advice to check the first mail that was sent to
you by us, you are to come up with this fee as soon as possible to process the
delivery of your package.

Note: that due to lots of scam mail on
the inetrnet, so we decided to inform the FBI
and the ARTTONEY GENERAL of USA, so we have attach the clearance certificate of
the FBI and our letter of guarantee from the headquaters of FedEx.

Payment should be made via western union
money transfer only for security purpose,
payment details are listed below.

Transfer Information Via western
union money
transfer
Courier Agent: Mr .Onyi
John
{City }:
Cotonou

Country:
Republic Benin
Text Question to be used:Good?
Text Anwser:
Fine.

Sender
Name:

Sender's Address
:

Receiver
Name:

Mtcn (Control Number):

Amount
Sent:

You have to send down the MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number)
and your complete postal address. Reconfirm your full name, address, country and
most important your phone number.

Get back to us with your payment
details, I will have to send a mail that you have contacted me regarding the
check he left for you. Note that your tracking number would be provided to you
as soon as the payment has been made and confirmed by
us.

BELOW IS YOUR PACKAGE READY FOR
DELIVERY.

Have a wonderful time. Please call us
anytime you need any assistance.

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs."Steve Carrielee" (Chief
Executive Officer)

( +22-98 09 13 64)
©2010 FedEx
INTERNATIONAL.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam