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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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• What can you do when you receive 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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "22 garden close, stamford" (address often used in fake lottery scams)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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)
  • "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)
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: "BMW Automobile" <info@bmw.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:08:51 -1200
Subject: Reference Number BMW:2551256003/23



BMW Automobiles
22 Garden Close, Stamford,
Lincs, PE9 2YP, London, United Kingdom.

Dear Winner,
This is to inform you that you have been selected for a cash
prize of 1,000,000.00GBP (One Million Great British Pounds)
and a brand new BMW 5 Series Car from International programs
held on the 4TH of MARCH 2008 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.
The BMW Lottery is approved by the British Gaming Board and
also Licensed by the The International Association of Gaming
Regulators (IAGR). This promotional lottery is the 3rd of
its kind and we intend to sensitize the public. To begin the
processing of your prize you are to contact our fiduaciary
claims department for more infomation as regards procedures
to claim your prize.

BMW LOTTERY DEPARTMENT UK
7 DOCK WAY, SEFTON BUSINESS PARK
LONDON, T40 4RT
United Kingdom
RICHARD MOON
BY EMAIL
email: info@claimsdept-bmw.company.org.uk

Contact him by please providing him with your Reference
Number BMW:2551256003/23.You are also advised to provide him
with the under listed informations as soon as possible:
1.Name in full.
2.Address.
3.Nationality.
4.Age.
5.Occupation.
6.Phone/Fax.
7.Present Country .
We ask that you keep this award personal, till your claims
have been processed and your funds remitted to you. This is
a part of our security measures to avoid double claiming or
unwarranted participants or imposters, taking advantage of
the situation
Failure to claim your prizes (CASH) would result to
forfeiting and will be used for next 10,000,000 pounds
sterling international lottery program.

Furthermore, should there be any change in your contact
address, do inform your claims agent as soon as possible.
Once again congratulations.
THANKS
MRS Pat Swindell
(Online Co-Ordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam