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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "mystery shopper" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mysteryukshopper@aim.com>
Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 17:40:35 +0100
Subject: Apply now!!

We have a mystery shopping assignment in your area and we would like you to participate"Mystery Shopper® is accepting applications for qualified individuals to become mystery shoppers. Its fun and rewarding, and you choose when and where you want to shop. You are never obligated to accept an assignment. There is no charge to become a shopper and you do not need previous experience. After you sign up, you will have access to training materials via e-mail, fax or postal mail.

ABOUT US:
Mystery Shopper® is the premier mystery shopping company; serving clients across United Kingdom, America and Canada with over 500,000 shoppers available and ready to help businesses better serve their customers. Continual investment in the latest internet and communication technologies coupled with over 16 years of know-how means working with Mystery Shopper® is a satisfying and rewarding experience. Secret shopping as seen on LONDON TIMES,ABC NEWS, NBC NEWS, L.A.TIMES. Stores and organizations such as The
Gap, Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut, and Banks. One amongst many others pay for Secret Shoppers to shop in their establishments and report their experiences. On top of being paid for shopping you are also allowed to keep purchases for free. Mystery Shopper® NEVER charges fees to the shopper. Training, tips for improvement, and shopping opportunities are provided free to registered shoppers.. Mystery shoppers are either paid a pre-arranged fee for a particular assignment, a reimbursement for a
purchase or a combinatio

Mystery Shopper® has available for immediate assignment an inspection of the customer service of a number of shops in your area.

What Will You Have To Do?

Assignments are many and varied and encompass all aspects of the retail and service industries. You may be asked to visit a certain shop and buy or return something, to attend a cinema, stay a night at a hotel, dine out at a restaurant, make an inquiry at a telephone call centre etc. Whilst carrying out this assignment you will have been given a checklist of things to observe and report back on which needs to be committed to memory before you undertake the assignment. Your status as a retail investigator m
ust be kept secret at all times so you can't walk into the place with a clipboard and pen but must act as a real consumer would act. You need to pay close attention to detail and have a good memory to complete assignments successfully.
You are to shop secretly and invest just a token of your time. This fee will be paid up front. During this shop you will visit the location and make several observations as regards the customer service. You will be required to interact with the shop clerk.
You may conduct the shop alone or as a couple. The assignment will pay 200.00 pounds per duty Kindly Fill Out the application form below and we will get back to you shortly with the assignment:

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

First Name:
Middle Name:
Last Name:
Street Address: City, State, PostCode:
Cell Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Age:
Current Occupation: Alternate Email Address:

AVAILABILITY:
Days/Hours Available
Monday........................ .....................
Tuesday....................... ......................
Wednesday..................... .........................
Thursday...................... ........................
Friday........................ .....................
Saturday...................... .......................
Sunday........................ ......................
Hours Available: from _______ to ______

We await your urgent response.
Thank you for your help. We look forward to working with you.


Sincerely,
Sue Reed
Hiring Manager
Mystery Shopper®



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