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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 WINDOW LIVES" <herleypeterson05@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:46:12 -0500
Subject: CONGRATULATION YOUR EMAIL HAVE WON .

Yahoo Lottery
Incoperation
Baley House, Har Road
Sutton, Greater London
SM1 4te
United Kingdom

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND POUNDS (£500.000.00) for the month of April 2007 Lottery
promotion which is organized by YAHOO LOTTERY INC & WINDOWS LIVE.

YAHOO & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, collects all the email addresses of the
people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to
Yahoo and Hotmail we only select five people every Month as our winners
through electronic balloting System without the winner applying,we
congratulate you for being one of the people selected.
 
PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
 
You are to contact your Claims Agent on or before your date of
Claim, Winners Shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement
Centre.
Yahoo Lottery Prize must be claimed no later than 15 days from date of
Draw Notification after the Draw date in which Prize has won. Any prize
not claimed within this period will be forfeited.
These are your identification numbers:

Batch number.....................YM 09102XN
Reff number.......................YM35447XN
Winning number...................YM09788

These numbers fall within the African agent's Location file, you
are requested to contact OXFORD BANK PLC BANK PLC, send your winning
identification numbers to them at this email:
E-mail:mrtomhopkin@yahoo.co.uk
Phone:+44-70111-38832
 
You are therefore advised to send the following information to the
bank to facilitate them and process the transfer of your money.
1. Full name..............
2. Country................
3. Contact Address........
4. Telephone Number.......
5. Marital Status.........
6. Occupation.............
7. Sex...................
8. Age....................

Congratulations!! once again.
Yours in service,
Mr. Herley Peterson
(Public Relations Officer)


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