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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

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.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • ",000,000" (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)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• 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.
  • direktbbanknl@aim.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: eurocoordinat12@voila.fr
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 08:34:26 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: BMW AUTOMOBILE LOTTO WINNING NOTIFICATION!!!


BMW AUTOMOBILE LOTTO WINNING NOTIFICATION!!!
THE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS
PROMOTION DEPARTMENT
22 Isabella RichardStraat,
3271, PE , Den Haag
The Netherlands.
Reference Number: BMW:2551256003/23
Dear Sir/Madam,
CONGRATULATIONS: YOU WON 1,000,000.00.
We are pleased to inform you of the result of BMW Automobile Company, (S.P.E.L), which was held on the 13th. August 2007 Your e-mail address attached to e-ticket number: 5647600545188N, with Prize Number: BMWP/556543450906 drew a prize of 1,000,000.00 (One Million Euros).This lucky draw came first in the 2nd Category of the Sweepstake. You will receive the sum of 1,000,000.00 (One Million Euros) from our authorized bank,as the star prize winner amongst other consolation prize winners.
Because of some mix-up with sweepstake prizes, including the time limited placed on the payment of your prize: 1,000,000.00, we advice that you keep all information about this prize confidential until your
funds: 1,000,000.00 have been transferred to you by our bank. You must payattetion to this instruction, strictly, to avoid any delay with the release of your funds to your person account in your country with out any delay. This program has been abused severally in past, so we are doing our best to forestall further
occurrence of false claims.
This sweepstake was conducted under the watchful eyes of 8,000 spectators. Your e-mail address was selected and came out first by a e-ballot draw from over 250,000 e-mail addresses (personal and corporate email addresses). This program is sponsored by CFI Networks to compensate faithful internet suffers around the globe.
Congratulations for becoming one of the few lucky winners. With your permission, your e-mail will also be included in the next sweepstake of 5Million. You must claim your prize: 1,000,000.00 not later than 14-days from the moment you receive this e-mail. In order to avoid unnecessary delays with your claim from the bank; please contact them immediately, and quote your winning and personal information now, and
in all your correspondence with the bank.
The bank contact details are as follow(s):
Bank: Direkt Bank.
Contact person: Mr Johnny White
Vice President: Private Banking and Assets Management.
Tel:(+31)643 621 840.
Fax:(+31 )847 366 179.
E-mail address: direktbbanknl@aim.com
Furnish them with the following:
VERIFICATION FORM
1.) FULL NAME:
2.) AGE:
3.) SEX:
4.) ADDRESS:
5.) ZIP/POSTAL CODE:
6.) STATE/PROVINCE:
7.) COUNTRY:
8.) PHONE:
9. ) FAX NO:
10.) OCCUPATION/POSITION:
11.) COMPANY:
12.) EMAIL ADDRESS:
13.) TICKET NUMBER:
14.) SERIAL NUMBER:
Congratulations once more, and keep trusting BMW Automobile for top
quality automobiles.
Engr. Peter M. Reed
DIRECTOR OF PROMOTIONS,
INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS PROMOTIONS,
BMW AUTOMOBILE.
DEN HAAG, THE NETHERLANDS .

THE BMW INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS PROMOTION
COPYRIGHT ©2007. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam