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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: "microsoftprom17@terra.es" <microsoftprom17@terra.es>
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:36:56 +0200 (MEST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING A WINNER IN OUR LOTTERY AWARD PROMOTION


=20
FROM:DR JOHNSON ANDERMAN
MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM
20 CRAVEN PARK,
HARLESDEN,
TELEPHONE:+44-703-190-5161,
+44-703-191-4087
LONDON,NW10,ENGLAND,
UNITED KINGDOM.
=20
CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
=20

DEAR WINNER,
=20
MICROSOFT COOPERATION MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT Y=
OU ARE A WINNER OF OUR ANNUAL MS-WORD LOTTO LOTTERY CONDUCTED IN EUROPE BEI=
NG THE HOST OF THE EVENT FOR THIS PRESENT YEAR MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNING P=
ROGRAMS HELD ON=20
10TH JUNE 2007.=20
=20
YOUR PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS OR COMPANY EMAIL WAS ATTACHED TO MSW LL. WITH =
SERIAL NUMBER S/N-00168 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS 887-13-865-37-10-83, AND CON=
SEQUENTLY WON IN THE FIRST LOTTERY CATEGORY. YOU HAVE THEREFORE BEEN APPROV=
ED FOR LUMP SUMS OF =C2=A31,350,000.00 (ONE MILLIONTHREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY=
THOUSAND GREAT BRITAIN POUNDS) PAYABLE IN CASH CREDITED TO FILE REF NO: MS=
W-L/200-26937 THIS IS FROM TOTAL PRIZE MONEY OF US$ 400,419,864, SHARED AMO=
NG THE LUCKY INTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN FIRST AND SECOND CATEGORY.
=20
ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED FROM WORLDWIDE WEBSITES ESPECIALLY YAHOO MAI=
L THROUGH OUR MICROSOFT COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 21,000 NAMES, 3,0=
00 NAMES FROM EACH CONTINENT (CANADA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATE, EUROPE=
, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND OCEANIA, AS PART OF INTERNATIONAL "E-MAIL" PROMOT=
IONS PROGRAM, WHICH IS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY FOR OUR PROMINENT MS -WORD USERS =
ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF INTERNET AND COMPUTERS WORL=
DWIDE. =20
=20
YOUR FUND (CERTIFIED CHEQUE) HAS BEEN INSURED WITH YOUR REF NO: MSW-L/200-2=
6937 AND WILL BE READY FOR DELIVERY. IT WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU BY ONE OF =
OUR CLAIM AGENT IN CHARGE OF YOUR ZONE (MR. DOUGLAS MASHABA). YOUR E-MAIL A=
DDRESS SHOULD BE USED IN ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER, PLEAS=
E 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 PR=
OVIDE YOU WITH THE NECESSARY DETAILS ON HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE.
=20
AS PART OF OUR SECURITY PROTOCOL YOU ARE TO QUOTE THIS SECURITY CODE MSW/FE=
B/XX06 TO YOUR CLAIMING AGENT. THIS IS TO PREVENT SCAM.

PRIZE CLAIM
=20
Claim Agent: Douglas Mashaba,
Douglas Mashaba &Associates
Solicitors, Conveyancers & Notary Public
Email Address:=20
douglasmashaba_associates@hotmail.com ,
douglasm_chambers@myway.com
Telephone: +27 73 243 9985

Address: 4th Floor, Elephant House=20
107 Market St. Cnr. Von Williegh=20
Johannesburg 2001,
South Africa
=20
REMEMBER, ALL PRIZE MONEY MUST BE CLAIMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ALL FUNDS NO=
T CLAIMED ON OR BEFORE THE FIXED DATE WILL BE RETURNED AS UNCLAIMED AND DON=
ATED TO CHARITY ORGANIZATION IN AFRICA.
=20
NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID MISTAKES, PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE A=
ND BATCH NUMBERS AND YOUR SECURITY CODE OF MSW/FEB/XX06 IN ALL CORRESPONDEN=
CES WITH YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER. DO NOT REPLY ANY OTHER MAILS LIKE THIS ON NET=
, AS THEY ARE A LOT OF SCAM ARTIST OUT THERE PRETENDING TO BE US. KINDLY CO=
NTACT YOUR CLAIMS OFFICER MR. DOUGLAS MASHABA. AT ONCE YOU WILL BE ASKED T=
O PROVIDE SOME DETAILS TO ENABLE THE OFFICE PROCEED WITH YOUR WINNING CERTI=
FICATE AND FILE KEEPING.
=20
CONGRATULATIONS, ONCE MORE FROM THE ENTIRE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF MICROSOF=
T COOPERATION TO ALL OUR LUCKY WINNERS THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR BEING PART =
OF THIS PROMOTIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAM. OUR SPECIAL THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO BI=
LL GATE OF MICROSOFT AND ALL HIS ASSOCIATES FOR ALLEVIATING POVERTY ROUND T=
HE WORLD.=20
=20
=20

YOURS FAITHFULLY,
=20
DR JOHNSON ANDERMAN.=20
MICROSOFT PROMOTION TEAM
VICE PRESIDENT






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