419 scam: "Mrs. Joy Baker"<support@xsvana.nl> Seasons Greetings To You My Dear Friend,

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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. )
- "certificate 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. )
- "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)
- "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.
- agent.samuelmark@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Joy Baker" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <agent.samuelmark@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 5 Nov 2013 22:27:11 +0700
Subject: Seasons Greetings To You My Dear Friend,

Seasons Greetings To You My Dear Friend,

I have been waiting for you to contact me for your Confirmable Bankdraft of $500,000.00 United States Dollars, but I did not hear from you since that time.

Then I went and deposited the Draft with FedEx COURIER SERVICE, West Africa, I traveled out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I willnot come back till end of January or febuary.

What you have to do now is to contact the FedEx 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, Insurancepremium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it isnot a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country.

The only money you will send to the FedEx COURIER SERVICE to deliveryour Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($120 USD)only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far. Again, don't bedeceived by anybody to pay any other money except $120 US 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 FedEx COURIER SERVICE now for the delivery of your Draft with this information below:-

Contact Agent: Mr. Samuel mARK
Email Address: agent.samuelmark@gmail.com

Mr. muel Mark is the legal head manager to FedEx delivery companyand he is to issue to you a payment notification receipt and thetracking numbers to your parckage as soon as you pay the delivery fee.

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address() and yourDirect telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on theDelivery and ask them to give you the tracking number to enable you track your packageover there and know when it will get to your address.

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 SecurityKeeping fee of $120 US Dollars for their immediate action.

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

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Joy Baker.
Presidential Library & Museum Former Director
International Online Lottery Co-ordinator.
© 20013

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam