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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• 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:

• 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.
  • kelvin_thomass@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Ann Steven" <ann_steven1@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 14:48:11 -0800
Subject: ''CONGRATULATIONS'' CLAIM YOUR WINNING PRIZE.

FROM:THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS
MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT MSW MEGA LOTTERY,
UNITED KINGDOM. 61-70 Southampton Row,
Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom, WC1B 4AR
REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937
BATCH: 2005MJL-01
ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING
NOTIFICATION.AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER:
UNITED KINGDOM

We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today of winners of
the MSW MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS held on 30TH 30TH JANUARY
2006.Your company or your personal e-mail address, is attached to winning
number 20-12DEC-2005-02MSW, With serial number S/N-00168 drew the lucky
numbers 887-13-865-37-10-83, and consequently won in the first lottery
category.

You have therefore been approved for lump sums pay out of GBP 1,800,000.00
POUNDS in cash Credited to file REF NO:MSW-L/200-26937 this is from total
prize money of GBP 9,000,000.00 POUNDS, shared among the Five (5)
international lucky winners in this category.

All participants E-mail addresses were selected through our Microsoft
computer ballot system drawn from 50,000 Individual Names, 30,000 companies
names from each continent, as part of International "E-MAIL" Promotions
Program, Which is conducted annually for our prominent MS WORD. Your payment
has been insured with your REF NO:MSW-L/200-26937. Your E-mailaddress should
be used in all correspondence with your claims officer, Please note that,
you are to contact your claims officer via email as we Are promoting the use
of E-mail, any communications with this office should be by mail, you have
the right to call the Claim Payment Officer to confirm your winning and
payment,as we will provide you with the necessary details on how to claim
Your prize. You are to keep your ref.number and batch number from the
public, until you have been processed and your prize money delivered or
transfered to you.
To claim your winning prize, you must contact the claims Officer by email
for Processing and remittance of your prize money to you.

The claims officer contact email is:
Name: Kelvin Thomas
E-mail: kelvin_thomass@yahoo.co.uk
(PAYMENT CLAIM OFFICER)
Be informed that all prize money must be claimed not later than two weeks of
this Notification, All funds not Claimed on or before the fixed date will be
with-held accordingly. Do contact the Claim Officer immediately for further
guidelines.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in all correspondences
with your claims
officer. Do contact the claims officer Kelvin Thomas at once via E-mail
kelvin_thomass@yahoo.co.uk
Ann Steven{Mrs.}
For MSW MEGA LOTTO PROMO UK;
Any winner below the age of 18years is automatically disqualified.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam