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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: MICROSOFT AWARD WINNING DEPARTMENT <MS_AWARD_WINNING_DEPARTMENT@web.de>
Date: Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:02:45 +0100
Subject: MICROSOFT AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION


MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P> FROM: THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS MANAGER INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZEAWARD DEPARTMENT, MICROSOFT CORPORATION WORD LOTTERYUNITED KINGDOM.61-70 Southampton Row,Bloomsbury London United Kingdom WC1B 4AR. REFERENCE NO: MSW-L/200-26937BATCH NO: 2005SEPT#22WINNER NO: 5 ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATIONAWARD PRESENTATION CENTER: UNITED KINGDOM *DEAR WINNER,** <O:P></O:P>*MICROSOFT COOPERATION MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE A WINNER OF OUR ANNUAL MS-WORD LOTTO LOTTERY CONDUCTED IN EUROPE BEING THE HOST OF THE EVENT FOR THIS PRESENT YEAR MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNING PROGRAMS HELD ON 30th.Nov 2006. <O:P></O:P>* <O:P></O:P>**YOUR PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS OR COMPANY EMAIL WAS ATTACHED TO** **SEPTEMBER **MSW LL. **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 OF **$ 1,000,000 (USD ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS)** PAYABLE IN CASH CREDITED TO FILE REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937 THIS IS FROM TOTAL PRIZE MONEY OF $ 25,000,000 USD, SHARED AMONG THE **TWENTY-FIVE (25) LUCKY **INTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN FIRST AND SECOND CATEGORY.<O:P></O:P>** <O:P></O:P>**ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED FROM **WORLDWIDE WEBSITES **ESPECIALLY **YAHOO MAIL THROUGH OUR MICROSOFT COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 21,000 NAMES, 3,000 NAMES FROM EACH CONTINENT (CANADA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATE, EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND OCEANIA, AS PART OF INTERNATIONAL "**E-MAIL**" PROMOTIONS PROGRAM, WHICH IS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY FOR OUR PROMINENT **MS -WORD** USERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, **AND TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF INTERNET AND COMPUTERS WORLDWIDE. **<O:P></O:P>**YOUR FUND (CERTIFIED CHEQUE) HAS BEEN INSURED WITH YOUR REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937 AND WILL BE READY FOR DELIVERY. IT WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU BY ONE OF OUR CLAIM AGENT IN CHARGE OF YOUR ZONE** **(MR. VICENTE VICENTE)**.** YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS SHOULD BE USED IN ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER, PLEASE NOTE THAT, YOU ARE TO CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER VIA EMAIL AND PHONE AS WE ARE PROMOTING THE USE OF E-MAIL. ALSO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL HIM TO CONFIRM YOUR WINNINGS AND GOVERNMENT TAX PAYMENT THAT IS ALL, AS HE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NECESSARY DETAILS ON HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE.<O:P></O:P>** <O:P></O:P>**AS PART OF OUR SECURITY PROTOCOL YOU ARE TO QUOTE THIS SECURITY CODE **MSW/FEB/XX06** TO YOUR CLAIMING AGENT. THIS IS TO PREVENT SCAM .**<O:P></O:P>**PRIZE CLAIM*HOMEZ SEGUROS MADRID ESPAÑA S.A
AVENIDA DE FALCON 15,28006CLAIMS AGENT OFFICER CONTACT IS:<O:P></O:P>E-MAIL: homezeguros@aim.com [mailto:homezeguros@aim.com] [mailto:romexseguros@aim.com]TEL: + 34-687 022 806FAX: + 34-911-849-810MR. VICENTE VICENTECLAIMS AGENT** *REMEMBER, ALL PRIZE MONEY MUST BE CLAIMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.** **ALL FUNDS NOT CLAIMED ON OR BEFORE THE FIXED DATE WILL BE RETURNED AS UNCLAIMED AND DONATED TO CHARITY ORGANIZATION IN <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:place w:st="on">AFRICA</st1:place>.<O:P></O:P>** <O:P></O:P>**NOTE:** IN ORDER TO AVOID MISTAKES, PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE AND BATCH NUMBERS AND YOUR SECURITY CODE OF MSW/FEB/XX06 IN ALL CORRESPONDENCES WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER. DO NOT REPLY ANY OTHER MAILS LIKE THIS ON NET, AS THEY ARE A <st1:place w:st="on">LOT</st1:place> OF SCAM ARTIST OUT THERE PRETENDING TO BE US. YOU MAY SEE MAILS LIKE THIS DO NOT REPLY. DO CONTACT YOUR <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">CLAIMS OFFICER *MR. VICENTE VICENTE*</st1:address></st1:Street>. AT ONCE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE SOME DETAILS TO ENABLE THE OFFICE PROCEED WITH YOUR WINNING CERTIFICATE AND FILE KEEPING.<O:P></O:P>** <O:P></O:P>**CONGRATULATIONS, ONCE MORE FROM THE ENTIRE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF MICROSOFT COOPERATION TO ALL OUR **LUCKY** WINNERS THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS PROMOTIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAM. OUR SPECIAL THANKS AND GRATITUDE **TO /BILL GATE OF MICROSOFT AND ALL HIS ASSOCIATES FOR ALLEVIATING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD/. **<O:P></O:P>**SINCERELY,**** ((Photograph) src="http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0916/csmimg/p1c.jpg)** ** (Queen Salote Tupou III of Tonga (1918-65))*<O:P></O:P>* *<O:P></O:P>*Mrs. **Basheera** Abubakar Mrs. Caro Smith <O:P></O:P>**(Co-coordinator). (Secretary)**** * <O:P></O:P>*//*<O:P></O:P> */Past winners./**//*<O:P></O:P> */ /*





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