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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• 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 bmw automobile company" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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 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.
  • drthooper@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: BMW AUTOMOBILE COMPANY. <bmw_claimsdeptagent1@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:43:03 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS.

THE INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS

PROMOTION DEPARTMENT OF

THE BMW AUTOMOBILE COMPANY.

22 Garden Close, Stamford,

Lincs, PE9 2YP, London

United Kingdom.

           

The Board of Directors, members of staff and the International Awareness Promotion Department of the BMW Automobile Company, wishes to congratulate you on your success as one of our TEN (10) STAR PRIZE WINNER in this years' BMW Automobile International Awareness Promotion (IAP) held on Friday 17th of  August, 2007,in London.

 

This makes you a proud owner of a brand new BMW 5 Series, M Sport Saloon car and a cash prize of £750,000.00 GBP (Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British pounds).

 

Note: You are to keep your winnings and the following below strictly confidential so as to avoid double claims and complications:

 

Reference Number: BMW: 2551256003/23

Ticket number: 5647600545188

Serial number: BMWP/556543450906

 

For you to collect your prizes, kindly fill the verification form below and send it to the BMW Claims Manager, Dr. Thomas Hooper of our claims office through email, stating your receipt of this notification. He has been mandated to offer you assistance and facilitate the urgent delivery of your prizes.

 

DR. THOMAS HOOPER

EMAIL: drthooper@yahoo.co.uk

 

VERIFICATION FORM:

1.) FULL NAME: 

2.) AGE: 

3.) SEX:  

4.) ADDRESS: 

5.) COUNTRY: 

6.) PHONE: 

7.) OCCUPATION/POSITION: 

 

Congratulations once more, and keep trusting BMW Automobile for top quality automobiles.

ENGR.LLOYD BRADFORD

DIRECTOR OF PROMOTIONS,

INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS PROMOTIONS,

BMW AUTOMOBILE.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.

 

 

 

 

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam