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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
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • +2348055939116 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: disbursement.chevronpetroluem2008@live.com
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:38:04 GMT
Subject: Your Email Was Selected...Congratulations!!




Your Email Was Selected=2E=2E=2ECongratulations!
Head Office
8=2CMacarthy Street=2C
P=2EM=2EB Box 166
Abuja=2CNigeria=2E
Tel=3A+23480-5593-9116

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of One =

Million=2CUnited States Dollars=2C (=241=2C000=2C000=2E00) for this year=
=

2008 Lottery promotion which is organized by CHEVRON =

OIL/PETROLEUM=2E

These are your identification numbers=3A
Batch number=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=
=2ECT 091026XN
Reff number=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=
=2ECT 095447XN
Winning number=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2E=2EC=
T 097886XN

These numbers fall within your Location file=2C you are requested =

to contact the events manager/Claims Department=2C send your =

winning identification numbers to him=2Cto enable him verify your =

claims=2E

(CONTACT FINANCE DEPARTMENT)
Name=3ADr=2EAnthony Moore
Tel=3A+23480-5593-9116
Fax=3A+2348-0388-65054
E-mail=3A disbursement=2Echevronpromo=40rocketmail=2Ecom

Also provide listed informations=3A =


Names=3A =

Address=3A =

Sex=3A =

Marital Status=3A =

Age=3A =

Occupation=3A =

Phone no=3A =

Country=3A =


Sincerely yours=2C =


Spindler Linse=2E
=A9 Lottery Coordinator

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam