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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
  
  
• 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:

• 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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "to your nominated bank account" (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)
  • "headquater" (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +447045790802 (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.
  • opecprommo@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3aopecprommo@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "opec promo" <opecprommo6@gmail.com>
Reply-To: opecprommo@live.com
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:38:03 -0700
Subject: THE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS


*THE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS*

*PROMOTION DEPARTMENT OF *

*ORGANIZATION OF THE *

*PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES*

*PE9 2YP, London, United Kingdom.. *

*Reference Number: OPEC/2551256003/01/07. 29th, June. 2008.*

* *

*Dear Winner,*

* *

* *

*The Officials of International Awareness Promotion Department of the
ORGANIZATION OF THE PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES, wishes to congratulate
you on your success as the STAR PRIZE WINNER in these years OPEC
International Awareness Promotion (OIAP) held in London. *

* *

*This makes you the proud owner of the cash prize of 2.6M BRITISH POUNDS Two
million, six hundred British pounds only. The selection process was carried
out through random selection in our Computerized Email Selection System
(E.S.S.) from a database of over a million Email numbers in the world. Each
Email was attached to a ticket number and your number with ticket number:
C55T24 and serial number: CT/556543450906 was randomly selected as the star
prize winner amongst other consolation prize winners.*

* *

*For you to collect your prizes, kindly fill the verification form below and
send it back to us through email, stating your receipt of this notification.
*

*I have been mandated to offer you assistance and facilitate the urgent
payment of you winning fund.*

*Kindly fill the verification form below and send it to our claims
department through this contact.*

* *

*Name: Dr, ken despond*

*Tel: +44 704 579 0802*

*E-mail:opecprommo@yahoo.com <E-mail%3Aopecprommo@yahoo.com>*

* *

* *

*VERIFICATION FORM:*

* *

*FULL NAME:*

*AGE: SEX: *

*NATIONALITY:*

*COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE:*

*FULL ADDRESS:*

*PHONE AND FAX NUMBER:*

*MOBILE NUMBER*

*EMAIL ADRRESS:*

*OCCUPATION/POSITION:*

*COMPANY:*

*TICKET NUMBER:*

*SERIAL NUMBER:*

* *

* *

*The above information shall be forwarded to our paying bank for
verification and immediate release of your fund to your nominated bank
account.*

* *

*Warning! Fraudulent emails are circulating that appear to be from OPEC
National Lottery, but are not from OPEC Lottery Board. PLEASE REPORT
IMMEDIATELY TO : CUSTOMER CARE/COMPLAINTS DEPT AT OPEC NATIONAL LOTTERY
HEADQUATERS.LAST WINNERS ON OPEC NATIONAL LOTTERY ONLINE . *

* *

* *

*Congratulations once more, and keep trust in us.*

* *

* *

*Ms Elizabeth Bell*

*Fiduciary Agent*

*For*

*DIRECTOR OF PROMOTIONS.*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam