419 scam: "Mr. Thomas Brown" <mrjohnmrk@gmail.com> Dear Customer

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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 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.
- fedexdelivey43@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Thomas Brown" <mrjohnmrk@gmail.com>
Reply-To: fedexdelivey43@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 21 May 2011 07:03:53 -0700
Subject: Dear Customer

Dear Customer !!!

We have been waiting for you to contact us for your Confirmed Package
that is registered with us for shipping to your residential
location.We thought that the sender gave you our contact details and
that you would have contacted us by now.we would also let you know
that a letter is also attached to your package.However, we cannot
quote its content to you via E-mail for privacy reasons.

We understand that the content of your package itself is a Bank Draft
worth $800,000.00 USD,in FedEx we do not ship money in CASH or in
CHEQUES but in Bank Drafts only.

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
in Nigeria for a three (3) month Surveying Project. for he is working
with a consulting firm in Nigeria West Africa. We are sending you this
E-mail because your package is been registered on a Special Order.
What you have to do now, is to contact our Delivery Department for the
immediate dispatch of your package to your residential address. Note
that as soon as our Delivery Team confirms your information, it will
only take us one working day (24 hours) for your package to arrive at
its designated destination.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, 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 $150 US Dollars to the FedEx Delivery Department 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 payments
considering the facts that all items & packages registered with us has
a time limitation and we cannot accept payment not knowing when you
will be picking up the package or even respond to us.So we cannot take
the risk to have accepted such payment incase of any possi

Kindly note that your colleague did not leave us with any further
information.We hope that you send your response to us as soon as
possible because if you fail to respond until the expiry date of the
foremost package, we may refer the package to the British Commission
for Welfare as the package those not have a return address.

Kindly contact the delivery department (FedEx Delivery Post) with the
details given below:
FedEx Delivery Post
Contact Person: Mr. Thomas Brown
E-MAIL ADDRESS:fedexdelivey43@yahoo.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:
AGE
MARITAL STATUS:
COUNTRY:
OCCUPATION:
Kindly complete the above form and submit it to the delivery manager
E-MAIL ADDRESS;fedexdelivey43@yahoo.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
receipt of $150 US Dollars. They will not hesitate to dispatch your
package as well as the attached letter to your residence. which
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 has not gotten a phone yet. We 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,
NAME ;Mr Mark Williams
FedEx Online Team Management.
All rights reserved. + 1995-2011

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This E-mail is only for the above addressees. It may contain
confidential or Privileged information. If you are not an addressee
you must not copy, distribute, disclose or use any of the information
in it or any attachments.
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FEDEX INTL>>>LICENCE OF FEDERAL EXPRESS CO-OPERATION.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam