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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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 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.
  • adamssmith006@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "john rezol4" <johnrezol4@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 15:02:42 +0200
Subject: MICRO -SOFT AWARDED US$1M WINING AWARD (CONGRATULATIONS)

ATTN:

DEAR SIR /MADAM,

                                  NOTICE OF AWARD NOTIFICATION

WE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON  26th OF OCT 2005 OF THE WINNERS OF MICRO - SOFT AWARD PRIZE DRAW, THAT YOUR E.MAIL BOX IS THE ONE OF THE WINING AWARD OF THE MICRO -SOFT CORPORATION AWARD, HELD IN SOUTH AFRICA  ON 1ST OCT 2005 AS RANDOM SELECTION E.MAIL ADDRESSES PARTICIPANTS THROUGH COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAW FROM AFRICA,AMERICA,ASIA,AUSTRALIA,CANADA,EUROPE,MIDDLE EAST,AND NEW ZEALAND etc.

YOU ARE THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED THROUGH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESSE AS ONE OF THE WINNERS OF US$1,000,000.00 (ONE MILLION  UNITED STATES DOLLARS) TO BE REMITTED TO YOUR DESIGNATED ACCOUNT AS ONE OF THE MICRO SOFT CORPORATION WINNERS AWARD PRIZE, THROUGH BILL GATE .PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE AND BATCH NUMBERS PROVIDE BELOW-  REFERENCE NUMBER: MSC-ZR39-825P-4 BATCH NUMBER: 74-263-BBN. TO BEGIN YOUR CLAM PLEASE CONTACT THE APPOINTED BANKER FOR THE TRANFERS OF YOUR WINING PRIZE FUND IN YOUR ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY; THE ADDRESSE BELOW.

                                                  NAME: ADAMS SMITH                                                

                                                  FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA

                                                # 25 RICHARDS RYLAAN, AUCKLAND PARK,0085  

                                                 P.O. Box 534, AUCKLANDPARK

                                                 JOHANNESBURG 2001,SOUTH AFRICA

                                                 TEL: 27-73-279-6184

                                                 FAX: 27-833-520-920

                                                 E.MAIL:adamssmith006@yahoo.com

MICRO-SOFT AWARD CORPORATION,

              THANKS.    

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam