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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• 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 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"
• 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.
  • +447011148667 (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.
  • bvanblakes@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MICROSOFT LOTTERY BOARD <agentsimonlee@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:16:15 +0800 (CST)
Subject: PAYMENT APPROVED CONTACT PAYMENT OFFICER


Attn:Dear Winner,


Congratulations once again on behalf of the MICROSOFT LOTTERY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

We do believe that your winnings will be put into good use for community, educational and business development. On Behalf of the Screening Committee of MICROSOFT Boad, I wish to formally announce to you that you have successfully passed the Email Screening and Verification Matching Test conducted for all online winners in your Category. Hence you are therefore cleared,

Due to the difficulties we experience in sending large sums of money to individuals in far away countries as in your case, and the very high cost of Transfer associated with same, we have decided to send your
money to you in cash.

A sealed percel which contains the total sum of ?00,000 has been forwarded to our cash delivery department.Please do contact our International Cash Distribution Manager (CDM) whom will arrange on schedule when and how to reach you.so that you can pick it up
immediately.YOU ARE TO SEND SIR BENEDICT VAN BLAKES AND EMAIL TO RECONFIRM YOUR FULL NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER SO THAT HE CAN REACH YOU IN YOUR COUNTRY.

His Contact Details are:
SIR BENEDICT VAN BLAKES
EMAIL:bvanblakes@yahoo.com
PHONE:+447011148667

Immediately you have recieved the money please do let me know so we can update the official records Board.
Once again, congratulations.

Regards,
Mr. Simon Lee.
Customer Support Unit - CSU.
==============================================
Any breach of confidentiality on the part of the winners will result to disqualification.This E-mail message(including attachments, if any) is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain Information that is privileged, proprietary, confidential and exempted from disclosure.If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.

_______________________________________
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http://messenger.yahoo.com.hk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam