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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:
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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 about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "claims agent" (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 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.
  • +31644747461 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • equityinfo1@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "vannesa thomas" <mc_claims9087@sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:43:26 +0000
Subject: MICROSOFT PRIZE AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION!


MICROSOFT E-MAIL INTERNATIONAL STAKE LOTTERY NL
BEJMERDREEF STRAAT 326B, 1104ED,
AMSTERDAM
THE-NETHERLANDS

FROM:THE DESK OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT

To the email bearer,

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of Microsoft Mega Jackpot Lottery
International programme held on the 24th March., 2006. with the following
winning numbers 13-32-51-74-48-72,This lottery was promoted and sponsored by
Association of software producers.as part of International "E-MAIL"
Promotions Program, for our prominent MS WORD user all over the world, and
for the Continues use of E-mail.

The online cyber lotto draws was conducted from an exclusive list of
25,000,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies picked by an
advanced automated random computer search from the internet. After this
automated computer ballot, your e-mail address emerged as one of six winners
in the category "B" with the following:

Ref Number:MC 1762 BN 9377
Batch Number: 674376721-MBN/2006
Ticket Number: MMLC 1552 /4209
Serial Number: MMJL 26546-173-64555/06

You as well as the other winners are therefore to receive a cash prize of
€550,000;00 (Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Euro) each from the total
payout.Your prize award has been insured with your e-mail address and will
be transferred to you upon meeting our requirements, statutory obligations,
verifications, validations and satisfactory report.

To file in for the processing of your prize winnings, you are advised to
contact our licensed and accredited claims agent for category "B" winners
with the information below:

Mr.Bill Anderson,
EQUITY INVESTORS
(e-mail;(equityinfo1@netscape.net )
Tel: 0031-644 747 461

You are adviced to provide him with the following informations:

Names:
Phone/Fax number:
Nationality:
Ref Number:
Batch Number:
Ticket Number:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your winning
information confidential until your claims has been processed and your money
Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.

NOTE: All winnings must be claimed not later than 14 days. thereafter
unclaimed funds would be included in the next stake. Remember to quote your
reference information in all correspondence.

Thank you and congratulations!!!

Yours faithfully,

Mrs Linder Hans
(Lottery Coordinator.)
Microsoft Corps NL

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam