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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 CORPERATIONS <online_award_winners@web.de>
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:56:49 +0100
Subject: MICROSOFT AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION







MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD
FROM: THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS MANAGER INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT, MICROSOFT CORPORATION WORLD LOTTERY
UNITED KINGDOM.61-70 Southampton Row,
Bloomsbury London United Kingdom WC1B 4AR.

REFERENCE NO: MSW-L/200-26937
BATCH NO: 887-13-865-37-10-83
LUCKY WINNING NUMBERS: 34 48 25 17 03 02

ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER UNITED KINGDOM

DEAR WINNER,

MICROSOFT COOPERATION MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE A WINNER OF OUR ANNUAL MS-WORLD LOTTO LOTTERY CONDUCTED IN EUROPE BEING THE HOST OF THE EVENT FOR THIS PRESENT YEAR MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNING PROGRAMS HELD ON 08TH DECEMBER, 2006. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

YOUR PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS OR COMPANY EMAIL WAS ATTACHED TO SEPTEMBER MSWLL. WITH SERIAL NUMBER S/N-00168 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS 34 48 25 17 03 02, AND CONSEQUENTLY WON IN THE FIRST LOTTERY CATEGORY. YOU HAVE THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED FOR LUMP SUM OF [946,924. 56 EURO] (NINE HUNDRED AND FOURTY SIX THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR EUROS, FIFTY SIX CENTS) PAYABLE IN CASH CREDITED TO FILE REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937. THIS IS FROM TOTAL PRIZE MONEY OF 50,000,000 EURO, SHARED AMONG THE FIFTY(50) LUCKY INTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN FIRST AND SECOND CATEGORY.

ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED FROM WORLDWIDE WEBSITES 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 -WORLD USERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF INTERNET AND COMPUTERS WORLDWIDE.

YOUR FUNDS IS INSURED WITH YOUR REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937 WHICH WILL BE RELEASE AFTER DATAS VERIFICATION AND CLARIFICATIONS TO YOU BY ONE OF OUR PROCESSING SECURITY COMPANY IN CHARGE (GENERAL DE SEGUROS S.A). YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS SHOULD BE USED IN ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER.

PLEASE NOTE THAT, YOU ARE TO CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT MR. RICARDO GONZALEZ, VIA EMAIL AS WE ARE PROMOTING THE USE OF E-MAIL. ALSO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL THE GENERAL DE SEGUROS S.A TO CONFIRM YOUR WINNINGS AND GOVERNMENT TAX PAYMENT THAT IS ALL, AS THE SECURITY COMPANY WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NECESSARY DETAILS ON HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE.

AS PART OF OUR SECURITY PROTOCOL YOU ARE TO QUOTE THIS SECURITY AND INSURANCE CODE MSW/FEB/XX06 TO YOUR CLAIMING AGENT INCLUDING YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS, CONTACT TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER TO ENABLE EASY CONTACT.

GENERAL DE SEGUROS S.A.
(Foreign Operation Department)
Plaza de las Cortes 10, Madrid 28014 Espana
Contact person SR. RICARDO GONZALEZ
Email: generaldeseguros@aim.com [mailto:generaldeseguros@aim.com]

NOTE: PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE AND BATCH NUMBERS AND YOUR SECURITY AND INSURANCE CODE OF MSW/FEB/XX06 IN ALL CORRESPONDENCES WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER.

AT ONCE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE SOME DETAILS TO ENABLE GENERAL DE SEGUROS S.A PROCEED WITH YOUR WINNING CERTIFICATE AND FILE KEEPING.

CONGRATULATIONS, ONCE MORE FROM THE ENTIRE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF MICROSOFT COOPERATION.

OUR SPECIAL THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO MR. BILL GATE OF MICROSOFT AND ALL HIS ASSOCIATES FOR ALLEVIATING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD.

SINCERELY,

((Photograph) src="http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0916/csmimg/p1c.jpg) (Queen Salote Tupou III of Tonga (1918-65))
Mrs. Sabina Aberto. Mrs. Caro Smith
(Co-coordinator). (Secretary)

*Past winners.*
*//*
*/


/*








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