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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 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.
  • reclaims_andrewgregory@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFTLOTTERY PROMOTION" <msw_promotion900@msn.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 11:41:43 +0000
Subject: ms_word lottery (5.5 million pounds pending)

Attention Ms-Word Winner,

   How are you doing today? I got your mail and I understand that it is not easy to raise this money but you have to know that your winning prize is nothing to compare to what you have ask to pay for your prize to be delivered to you.

  Since is you said you do not have enough money to pay for the charges then am sorry there is nothing I can do about this and you are to fill and sign the below form.

   Please, you are further advice to print out this form, sign it and send it back to us as an attachment or fax immediately. Below is the form you will have to fill:

DISBURSEMENT FORM FOR WINNERS ONLY. FILL IN BLOCK LETTERS.

FULL NAMES: _______________________________________________________

REF. NUMBERS: ________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________

 

NAME OF LOTTERY WON: ________________________________________________________

 
AMOUNT WON IN WORDS: _________________________________________________________

                     
REASONS FOR NOT CLAIMING PRIZE/MONEY: _____________________________

 

DATE: _________________________     SIGNATURE: _____________

 DECLARATION:
I _________________________________________________ HERE BY DECLARE THAT I DO NOT WISH TO CLAIM MY PRIZE/MONEY AND WILL LOOSE THE RIGHT TO SUE FOR RECLAIMS. MY PRIZE MONEY CAN BE RELEASED OR GIVEN TO THE CHARITY HOMES FOR THIS YEAR CHARITY DONATIONS AS I DO NOT WISH TO CLAIM MY PRIZE, I THERE FORE WILL NOT TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION IF MY PRIZE IS GIVEN OUT TO THE CHARITY HOMES.

This above form stands as an agreement between you and the UK Government for that, you have agreed to close your winning file and will not go an extra mile if your funds are been given out to the charity organization, that you would abide by the agreement signed between you and the Microsoft word mega jackpot lottery here in the UK. I wish you the best in making your choice.

NOTE: It is mandatory you do as instructed so as to avoid any court action. and if you still want to pay for the delivery then you have Five (5) working days to make the payment so you should not fill the form if you are ready to make the payment.

You are to contact the ms-word lottery reclaims officer below if you still want to claim your winnings of 5.5 million pounds:

Reclaims officer: Mr Andrew Gregory
email address: reclaims_andrewgregory@yahoo.com

 Hope to hear from you soonest.

Regards,
Ms-Word Mega Jackpot Lottery.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam