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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft lottery"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• 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.
  • +447040129340 (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.
  • johnsmith_uk1000@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MICRO SOFT UK LOTTERY" <msluk1033@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 05 Nov 2006 23:48:49 +0000
Subject: November 2006 Lottery Draws, Ref. No: 919347/749-0.

                 MICROSOFT U-K ONLINE LOTTERY.   

                    

The Microsoft Lottery
P. O. Box 1010
Liverpool, L70 1NL
UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services)

Lottery Date: November 2006

WINNING NOTIFICATION:

  Ref.No:919347/749-0
Batch:3566465021-0TA/06

 

  Dear Lucky Winner,

 

 Congratulations as we happily announce to you today that the draw.

Of the MICROSOFT UK ONLINE LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program held in November 2006 in London.  Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: G276017-487 with Serial number 493-678 drew the lucky numbers:

[ 7-28-87-65-69-73 ]

The Bonus Ball [02], which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category i.e, matches 3 plus bonus. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of US$700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) credited to file nos KTU/9023118308/03. This is from a total cash prize of US$7,000,000.00 (Seven Million U.S Dollars) shared amongst the first Ten (10) lucky winners in this category i.e Match 4 plus bonus.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw & ballot system and extracted from over 100 Million email addresses of unions, associations and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place yearly.  Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our U booklet representative office in London as indicated in your play coupon. In  view of this, Your US$700,000 (Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be released to you by any of our payment offices here in London. Our London agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.

This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this lottery programmes.

Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our claims agent with the verification form below:

Overseas Claims Unit
London Fiduciary Agent for MICROSOFT UK PROMOTIONS.
Name: Mr Johnson Smith,  From West Ham City England.

  

Mr.  Johnson  Smith.Tel: (+44) 7040129340

Email:   johnsmith_uk1000@yahoo.co.uk

 

KINDLY FILL THE CLAIMS VERIFICATION/PROCESSING FORM BELOW AND SEND IT TO HIM:

 

=====================================================

 

FULL NAMES OF BENEFICIARY:...................................

 

CONTACT ADDRESS:.......................................................

 

CITY/STATE:........................................................................

 

COUNTRY:............................................................................

 

NATIONALITY:...................................................................

 

SEX:.......................AGE:.......................................................

 

MARITAL STATUS: ...........................................................

 

TEL / MOBILE NO:  ............................ FAX:......................

 

E_MAIL ADDRESS:............................................................

 

NEXT OF KIN:  ...................................................................

 

MONTHLY INCOME:  ................................

 

OCCUPATION: ....................................................................

 

AMOUNT WON:....................................................................

 

REFENCE NO:................   BATCH NO: .............................

 

LUCKY NO:..................   TICKET NO :................................

 

SERIAL NO:...................   LOTTERY DATE:  ...................

 

=======================================================

Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him on the email and telephone numbers stated above. You may wish to establish contact with him via e-mail with the particulars presented above citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter.  All Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of the proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent claims. This is part of our security and precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.

 

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, BUT CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT DIRECTLY BY E-Mail: johnsmith_uk1000@yahoo.co.uk
 

 Congratulations  from me and members, Staffs of the MICROSOFT U-K ONLINE LOTTERY.

 

VERY IMPORTANT:  19 YEARS AND BELOW ARE NOT  ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE  IN THIS MICRO SOFT LOTTERY PROGRAMMES.

 

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Grace Sanders.

 

 

Mrs. Grace Sanders
Online coordinator for MICROSOFT UK ON-LINE PROMOTIONS.
Sweepstakes International Program.
Copyright © 1994-2006 The Micro Soft UK Online Lottery Inc.
All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guidelines

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam