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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "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)
  • "certified bank draft" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +447024065544 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Chevron /Texaco Oil =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Company=AE?=" <info@uk.com>
Reply-To: chevrontexaco@secretarias.com
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 05:23:45 +0800
Subject: Congratulations!!!!!!!

CHEVRON/TEXACO OIL COMPANY(AFRICA) AND BARCLAYS BANK OF ENGLAND(UNITED
KINGDOM) has offered you the prize sum of £500,000.00 GBP in the on-going
email ballotting held for the month of May 2009.Your email address was
selected randomly along side four(4) other email addresses.


We the Management and staffs of these great economic institutions are
pleased to> inform you that you along side four(4) other lucky winners have
been approved for a payment of £500,000.00 GBP (Five hundred thousand Great
Britain Pounds Sterling) in a Certified Bank Draft.


If you did receive this email, it means you are one of the five(5) lucky
winners. Your verification number is: (CTBBE-222-6747,FGN/P-900-56). You are
required to request for a Scanned copy of your certified bank draft signed
by the Barclays Bank of England from the office of the Claims Processing
Officer as proof that this is not a FRAUDULENT ACT OR A SCAM.


Claim Processing Officer:
Name: Dr.Garrick Moore
Email: chevrontexaco@secretarias.com
Tel: (+44)-702-406-5544.
Fax: (44)-704-575-4945.

You are also advised to provide him with the under listed information as
soon as possible:

NAME IN FULL:
DELIVERY ADDRESS:
AGE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
PHONE:
ANNUAL INCOME:


We are glad to have you as one of our lucky winners.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Rose Wood.(Online Co-ordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam