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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:
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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:

• 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.
  • +447024052114 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • richards_bmwagent@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "BMW LOTTERY DEPT" <WEBDNXIEV401@prodigy.net>
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 09:11:43 -0800
Subject: BMW LOTTERY DEPT: YOU EMERGE OUR LUCKY WINNER


THE LOTTERY DEPARTMENT BMW
22 Garden Close,PE9 2YP, London

Dear Winner

This is to inform you that you have been selected for
a cash prize of 450,000.00 (British Pounds) and a
brand new BMW 5 Series Car from International
programs held on the 13th ,febuary 2007 in London Uk.
The selection process was carried out through random
selection in our computerized email selection system
(ess) from a database of over 250,000 email addresses
drawn from all the continents of the world which you
were selected.The BMW Lottery is approved by the
British Gaming Board.

To begin the processing of your prize you are to
contact our
fiduaciary claims department :

Kelvin richards
Email: richards_bmwagent@yahoo.co.uk
+447024052114

contact him with your Reference Number
BMW:2551256003/23,secret pin
code x7pwyz2005

for more infomation as regards procedures to claim
your prize.

Contact him by sending him with the under
listed informations

1.Name.2.Address.3.Nationality.4.Age.5.Occupation.6.Ph
one/Fax.

Mr. Chris Blee
Online co-ordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam