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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
  • "cashiers check" (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash)
• 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.
  • +447023080612 (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.
  • info_microsoftlotto@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "departmant microsoft" <lotterymsw@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 02:17:09 +0000
Subject: MICROSOFT LOTTERY (winning notification)

MANAGER, INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT
LOTTERY, UNITED KINGDOM.
89 New Fetter Lane London, EC4A 1AG U.K

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 23rd, NOVEMBER 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 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 Twenty five (25)international
winners in this category.

All participants were selected through our Microsoft computer ballot
system drawn form 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 Continues use of E-mail. Your fund
(certified Cashiers check) 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:

Name: Colen Mark
PHONE: +44 7023080612
E-mail:info_microsoftlotto@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.

Claims Requirements:

Full
Name:..............................................................
2.Address:...............................................................
3.Nationality:...........................................................
4.Age:.........................Date of
Birth:.............................
5.
Occupation:.............................................................
6.Phone:...............Phone
2:...................Fax:....................
7.State of
Origin:......................Country:.........................


A: BANK SWIFT WIRE TRANSFER

B: INTER- BANK TRANSFER

C: BANK DIPLOMATIC TRANSFER

(2): COME TO OUR OFFSHORE PAYMENT CENTER IN UK WHERE YOU WILL BE PAID
FULL IN CASH.

(3): BY OUR COURIER FIRM, WHERE THEY WILL COURIER YOUR WINNING CHEQUE
TO YOU OR ANY ADDRESS YOU WISH TO HAVE YOUR CHEQUE COURIERED TO DIRECTLY
TO
YOUR LOCAL BANK OR YOUR HOUSE. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO ALSO CHOOSE ONE OF THIS.





Sincerely,
Secretary
Mrs. Maurrine Diane H.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam