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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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)
• 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 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.
  • +447040109368 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "opaque lottery promotions" <stan_melvin11@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 02:24:48 -0500
Subject: how are you today




OPAQUE LOTTERY PROMOTIONS,
Berkshire House
167-173 High Holborn
London WC1V 7AA
United Kingdom.

Grand Prize Awards: £1,000,000.00
Our Ref: OPLP/19028/06/uk.
Your Ref: OPLP/W2166/06/uk.
National Lottery Central Number 797

Dear Lucky Winner,

RE: EMAIL PROMOTIONAL WINNING NOTIFICATION 2006.

It is our pleasure to inform you of our promotional lucky draws held April
2006.participants were selected through our computer ballot of individuals
and corporate enterprise from our central email data base as part of our
International promotions program conducted annually to encourage prospective
overseas entries.

As a result, you have been approved a lottery jackpot grand prize awards
winning CHEQUE for £1,000,000.00 (One million pounds only) bonded and
insured under a comprehensive insurance Policy for security reasons and
credited to file Ref: OPLP/W2166/06/uk. Kindly contact our claims Director
below for further
information.

Claims Director: Mrs. Natasha Anderson
Tel: +44-70-4010-9368
Fax: +44-70-30403-435
Email: info_anderson@uk2.net


We advise that you introduce yourself to our claims officer by stating "your
ref" and Winning information stated above and presents a valid means of
personal identification and international passport as true beneficiary/lucky
winner of this promotional lotto prize to enhance your payment arrangements
and kindly Note that we do NOT REQUEST FOR YOUR BANKING DETAILS.

As always, we remain at your complete disposal.

Yours faithfully,
Melvin Stan
Promotion Announcer,
OPAQUE LOTTERY PROMOTIONS.

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam