419 scam: "Australian Microsoft Online Lottery"<ddk.solicitors@gmail.com> Lottery winning notification

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
- "abuja" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
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.
- +2348137063201
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.
- julyavallee1960@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Australian Microsoft Online Lottery" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <angelaraymond29@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2012 17:25:32 -0500
Subject: Lottery winning notification

Australian Microsoft Promotion Award Team
527 Durban Street, FCT
Abuja, Nigeria
+234-80-242317
FILE REF: 575061725
BATCH: 8056490902/188
E-MAIL TICKET NUMBER: EAASL-130877
CASH CREDIT FILE: ILP/HW46704/08

MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION.

Dear Email Account Owner,

It is a pleasure to inform you that the result of the Lottery Draw held on the 30th November 2012 by the Australia 10th December 2012.

We are contacting you because your email address has emerged as a winner for been active in the computer database. The selection process was carried out through a random selection in our Computerized Email Selection System (C.E.S.S.) from a database of over a million email addresses from the world wide web. This promotion was set-up to encourage the active users of the Internet
Microsoft® Windows. Hence we do believe that with your winning prize, you will continue to be active and patronage to the Microsoft® Windows XP Corporations.

You have been approved to receive the winning sum of US$500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars). You are to make contact with your designated agent who shall by duty, guide you through the process of facilitating the release of your Prize.

For claims,you are advised to contact your appointed agent with the following details below.

Miss Julya Vallee (CLAIMS OFFICER)
Email: julyavallee1960@yahoo.com
Tel: +2348137063201

VERIFICATION AND FUND RELEASE FORM

Name:................
Address:..........
Country:.............
Age:.................
Gender:...............
Occupation:...........
Telephone/Fax number:...............
Winning E-mail Address:..........
Reference Number:....................
Batch Number:......................
Cash Credit file:..................

The Microsoft Windows lottery has discovered a huge number of double claims due to winners informing close friends relatives and third parties about their winning and also sharing their pin numbers. As a result of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. The Microsoft lottery has reached a decision from headquarters that any double claim discovered by the Lottery Board will result to the canceling of that particular winning, making a loss for both the double claimer and the real winner, as it is taken that the real winner was the informer to the double claimer about the lottery. So you are hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings strictly confidential until you claim your prize.

Congratulations from the Staffs & Members of the interactive Lotteries Board Commission

Sincerely,
Coordinator
Microsoft Promotion Award Team

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam