419 scam: "UNITED POST SERVICE LTD" <info

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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:
- "certified bank draft" (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.
- +447045714894 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "UNITED POST SERVICE LTD" <info_ups@post.com>
Reply-To: ups_fastdelivery@post.com
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 02:14:39 +0100
Subject: TAKENOTE

Dear Client,
I am Mrs Herietta Woodpark, the head of department of special insured
dispatch unit in the UNITED POST SERVICE LTD. I am glad to contact you
via your email address knowing it is the only option available to me for
reasons i will explain as you read on. This is an official notification
to inform you that your family relative directed us to make a special
insured postage delivery over to you via your address details given to us
by him, which we insured the package and shipped it over to your address
but to our disappointment your insured package that was shipped to your
address given to us by your family relative was returned back to our
office on the reason that you donot live in that address anymore and that
you have move out, we tried reaching you through the phone number given
to us by your family relative but your phone number was disconnected. so
this is the last medium i am using to reach you now with your email
address given to us by your family relative, so please treat this
official email i am sending you with discretion and confidentiality
because your special insured package is still with me in our office
waiting for your claims.
I contacted back your family relative with his address given to us but I
am very sorry to inform you that your family relative just passed on, he
was confirmed dead on sunday morning at 10.54am at the hospital and as
been buried yesterday. so i had no option but to contact you through your
email address. so please donot treat this official email i sent you as an
unsolicted or scam message.
Your special insured package with us contain a certified bank draft worth
$1 million dollar,documents of a security deposit of $12 million dollar
and other legal documents verifying you as the next of kin.
send me your current details below,so your special insured package can be
re-delivered over to you.

1.Full Names presently:
2.Current Full Address presently:
3.Your current state and country of resident presently:
4.Your current Mobile Number presently:

NOTE: YOUR PACKAGE CONTAIN DETAILED INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS ABOUT YOUR
FAMILY RELATIVE, IF YOUR PARCEL REMAINS UNCLAIMED BY YOU AFTER 2 YEARS WE
WILL REGARD YOUR PACKAGE AS UNCLAIMED PACKAGE IN REGARD TO THE RULES AND
REGULATION GUIDING OUR OPERATION AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE
CUSTODY OF YOUR UNCLAIMED PACKAGE AND EVERY MONETARY BENEFIT LEFT TO YOU
BY YOUR FAMILY RELATIVE AS HIS NEXT OF KIN.

I await your respond to my official email notification to you about your
special insured package with us. For Enquiry Call: Tel: +44704-5714-894.
Your'Faithfully,
Mrs.Herietta Woodpark
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL INSURED DISPATCH UNIT
UNITED POST SERVICE LTD
UNITED KINGDOM

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam