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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=A92010_Microsoft_Corporation?= <winner@microsoft.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: deskofdesmond@aim.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:05:02 +0100 (BST)
Subject: MIC-MSN/9874/10{EMAIL ALERT}

Your Email id just won £ 950,000.00 (Nine Hundred And Fifty Thousand
Pounds) Microsoft and Msn Sweepstakes with Serial numbers MIC-MSN/9874/10
and lucky no. Lucky numbers 98-EI6489-10 as Draw number one was conducted
in HERTFORDSHIRE, UK on the 13th June 2010.

Note: You have One(1) weeks from the date of this publication to claim
your prize or you may forfeit your winnings.

Tel:+44 701 112 0583.Contact Desmond Harry.Email:deskofdesmond@aim.com

1.Full Names.2.Home Address.3.Age.4.Sex. 5.Occupation.6.Phone
Number.7.country.
Sincerely,
©2010 Microsoft Corporation
Member Services Sweepstakes International Program.
Mr. Kevin Turner

--
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.

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