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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "Microsoft/Yahoo Award" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <prize.department@9.cn>
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 17:12:07 -0700
Subject: Internet Award

Microsoft Award Team
120 Craven Park,
London NW10
United Kingdom
Ref: BTD/968/05

07-08-2010

Batch number.......ZA09133GD
Ref number........ZQ34455DG
Winning number.....ZX09789DG

Dear Internet User,

This email message is sent to you after a meeting held by Bill Gates and
YAHOO/MSN INC & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, United Kingdom. On the great support
that he has made one of the best means of communication which is the Internet.

And this is to inform you that, after this meeting a sum of funds was
awarded to some internet users in a Microsoft background of emails
balloting of over One Hundred Million Internet users world wide, and Bill
Gate in conjunction with YAHOO/MSN INC & MICROSOFT WINDOWS awarded this
EMAIL the sum of Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds (£750,000.00).

Please as you receive this email do let us know by filling for your claim,
and you are required to provide us with the information below for verification:

Full Name:
Re-Confirming Email address:
Permanent house address:
Residing Country:
Phone Number:
Age:
Sex:
Occupation:

This is a Bill Gates and Yahoo/MSN Microsoft Internet award, for internet users.

''CONTACT EVENT MANAGER''

Mr. Brown Walter
Email:- prize.department@9.cn
Tell:- +44-703-5934-248
+44-703-5952-199

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Kim Farah
Online Announcer.

© 2010 Microsoft & Yahoo! Inc

Anti-fraud resources: