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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• 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 about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
• 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.
  • +31617924770 (Netherlands, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • microsoflottery@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • bwcfinance@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: micro software <microsoflottery@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: bwcfinance@netscape.net
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2006 09:09:58 -0800 (PST)
Subject: CONGRATULATION!!! YOU HAVE WON


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: microsoflottery@yahoo.com

254 EGASTRAAT,354tz

AMSTERDAM,NETHERLAND.

WROM: TTZRCLBDXRQBGJSNBOHMKHJYFMYXOEAIJ

MICRO SOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT


Micro software’s lottery proudly announces today the winners of its

internet lottery program for this quarter. The lottery program is

conducted every quarter with email addresses of internet users. The draws are usually from about 26,000 email addresses from all over the world, which are selected from the internet randomly.


The draws are made in four categories using a special computer balloting system.



Your receipt of this mail means that your email address has won in

category D#147;D” of the draws. Your email address drew the winning numbers:32:01:00:67:4 serial number 3232134,batch number MC/45829/NL/06,lottery ref number SL8455110 and security credited file numbers 01-37-44-85-486 and subsequently won the sum of $300,000 USD.


You are at this point advised to contact our NL agent below to begin your claim:


Name: Mr.William Robinson

Email: bwcfinance@netscape.net

Tel: + 31-617-924-770

Fax: + 31-847-564-4528




You will be given a form to complete and return same to any one of our

appointed financial trustees. Their winning/processing department will

validate your winning and provide information on the collection of your

prize.


All winning must be claimed not later than 7th of April, 2006. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake



You are advised to initiate contact with our agent within one weeks of

the receipt of this mail. Any prize whose collection is not initiated

within the stipulated time will be deemed unclaimed. We do urge you to

fully cooperate with us so that you could collect your winning.

In course of any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible.



Yours Sincerely,

Mrs N De Jong.

MICROSOFTWARE LOTTERY



- micro software

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam