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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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

• 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.
  • +447031905774 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • microsoftwinnings_claimsagent17@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT MEGA WINNINGS LOTTERY INC."
<microsoftlotterywinningsnotification@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Oct 2005 09:29:01 +0000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION !

MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT
LOTTERY, UNITED KINGDOM.
76 NEW FETTER LANE,
LONDON,EC4A 1AG,UNITED KINGDOM,
MR. RUSSELL ALEXANDRA.
Programme Co-ordinator.

REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
BATCH: 4583JL/WIN

MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY PROMOTIONS,EMAIL AWARD PROMO: UNITED KINGDOM.

Finally today, we announce the winners of the MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS held on 7th OCTOBER, 2005. Your company or your personal e-mail address, attached to winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100, With serial number 647489, consequently won in the Tenth lottery category.

You are therefore been approved for lump sums pay out of GBP 5,500,000.00 POUNDS ($10,464,000 USD) in cash credited to the file REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100, this is from total prize money of GBP 27,500,000.00 POUNDS, shared among the Five (5) international winners in this category.

All participants were selected through our Microsoft Computer Ballot system drawn from 42,000 Names, 6,000 names from each continent, as part of International "E-MAIL" Promotions Program, for our prominent MS WORD user all over the world, and for the continuous use of E-mail. Your fund (certified Cashiers cheque) has been insured with your REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. To claim your winning prize, you must first contact the claims department by email for Processing and remittance of your prize money to you. The claims processor is:

The Claims Officer Contact:Name : Mr.Christopher Blackwell
E-mail :microsoftwinnings_claimsagent17@yahoo.co.uk

Do email the above email addresses, all at once. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and winning numbers in all correspondences with your claims officer.

 

Sincerely,

Secretary
Mrs. Maurrine Diane H.

NOTE:

Any winner below the age of 16years is automatically disqualified, Do not reply this mail. You are to contact your claims officer immediately by email Or call +447031905774,+447031946830 to confirm your winnings.

LOTTERY SPONSORS:CHIEF SPONSOR;

MICROSOFT CO-OPERATIONS UK, MICROSOFT CO-PERATIONS ASIA MICROSOFT CO-OPERATIONS USA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam