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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• 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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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:
  • "british lottery commission"
  • "the bmw automobile company" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "money laundering" ("anti-terrorist", "anti-money laundering" or "drug-free" certificates are a common way for criminals in fake lottery scams and other Advance Fee scams to get you to send money to them. There are no such certificates in the real banking world. )
  • "money transfer control number" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "express courier delivery" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "tax clearance" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "clearance certificate" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "you are required to pay " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "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)
  • "affidavit " (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "barr." (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "tax clearance" (Tax offices mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. Even after you pay their fake tax demands you will still not receive the non-existent funds you have been promised. )
• 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!
• Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.
• 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.
  • +447045721147 (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.
  • fivestarrtruck@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "BARR. CHRIS ANDERSON" <chrisanderson@legal-chambers.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:46:10 +0000
Subject: Winning Prize Delivery VAT Informations and Requirements.




CHRIS ANDERSON CHAMBERS.
(CAC)
Old Wharf House, 20 Lower Mall, London, W6 9DJ,
United Kingdom.





CHRIS ANDERSON CHAMBER
Barr. Chris Anderson
Old Wharf House,
20 Lower Mall,
London, W6 9DJ,
United Kingdom
Tel: +447045721147

DATE: 20/07/07


Reference Number: BMW:2551256003/23
Serial Number: BMWP/556543450906
Ticket Number: 5647600545188
Lucky Email Address: fivestarrtruck@yahoo.com

Dear Thomas Patino,

In respect of the Delivery of your winning Prize, The British Lottery Commission Board require a Tax Clearance Certificate for the delivery of your winning Prize across to your destination, Your Winning Prize delivery Approval letter has been received in this office and your Prize has been forwarded over to the Courier Department for immediate clearance and dispatch to your destination. All Delivery Cost and Shipping Expenses of your Winning Prize and your New BMW car has been paid by the BMW Automobile Company, But you will need to obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate from the British Government Tax Clearance Office as Tax Clearance Permission to the DHL Express Courier Delivery Office to proceed with delivery of yo ur winning Price across to your destination.

( VAT ) includes the Value Added Tax charged by the British Government Revenue Board in accordance with the law of international countries. l want you to know that there is no Legal lottery that ask for payment in order to claim a Prize which belongs to the British National Lottery Board as process fees or Courier delivery fees, except Value Added Tax ( VAT ) charges/charged by the British Government to obtain the Tax Clearance Certificate which must be provided by you as stipulated by law. The Value Added Tax ( VAT ) is required from you to enable this office help you procure the Tax Clearance Certificate from the British Government Tax Clearance Office that will permit us and the approved Courier Company to proceed and send your Winning Prize across to your destination withi n 48 hours time difference.

The total amount won cannot be deducted from because your Prize has been insured in a hardcover insurance policy by the lottery Camelot and this was as a result of rampant financial fraud,impersonation by some staff in National Lottery Commission publishes Act 2005-06.

For proceeding in the Delivery of your winning Price, You are therefore advise to fill the Winner Delivery Information's Form ( WDIF ) Below:


Winner Full Name : THOMAS PATINO
Complete Address / Description:..........................
...............................................................................
City:........................................................................
State:.....................................................................
Postal Code/ Zip Code:...........................................
Home Tel No.: ........................................................
Office Tel No.:.........................................................
Mobile No.:.............................................................
International Passport No.:.................................. Delivery Point Identification
Scanned Copy of International Passport : ( Optional ) Delivery Point Identification


You are required to pay the Value Added Tax charges of £ 680.83 = $ 1,345.13 USD through my Chambers Secretary Informations as given below for the procurement of the Tax Clearance Certificate from the British Government Tax Clearance Office.


===========================================================Method of Payment: WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER ( £ 680.83 = $ 1,345.13 USD ) Payment Informations:
Name: ELIZABETH WILLIAMS Address: Old Wharf House, 20 Lower Mall, London, United Kingdom.

This payment should be made via: Western Union and the following information should be sent to me for a proof via email: Sender's Name: ................................................................... Sender's Address: ................................................................Total Amount Sent: ..............................................................Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN): ..................,,,..........A SCANNED COPY OF THE PAYMENT MONEY TRANSFER RECEIPT.===========================================================


NOTE: You are to fill the Above Winner Delivery Information's Form (WDIF ) immediately and get back to this office via email in other for we to proceed with the arrangement for the Delivery of your Winning Prize and procurement of the Tax Clearance Certificate from the British Government Tax Office, You are also advise to keep your winnings informations confidential until you must have claimed it. This measure is to protect winners because of the large sum of money involved and to avoid wrong claims.

Upon receipt of your Winner Delivery Information's Form (WDIF) and Value Added Tax Payment informations, your parcel delivery will commence immediately. Your Tax Clearance Certificate will be issued out by the British Tax Revenue Office.Your winning prize of £ 500,000.00, Winning certificate, Tax Clearance Certificate together with a covering document (Money Laundering protection,Letter of Affidavit for Claims) and also Lottery Commission Clearance Certificate from the British Government and along side 5 series Car will be dispatched through DHL Express Courier Service Department and details informations will be sent to you via email.


Have a nice day.
Yours Faithfully,
Barr. Chris Anderson.

CONFIDENTIALLY NOTICE:
Please note that this email and any files that may be attached to it, is/are confidential and is/are intended for the sole use of the individual(s) or entity (ies) to which it/they is/are addressed. Any use, distribution, copying or disclosure by any other person or entity is strictly prohibited under applicable law(s). If you received this email in error, please notify the sender by return email and delete the original message (making sure it is also deleted from the Deleted Items folder of your mail client).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam