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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: AGENT KEN <fiduciary_agentken@micro-soft-notification.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:19:47 +0000
Subject: MICROSOFT WINNING VERIFICATION FORM....{FILL AND RETURN}
















MICROSOFT AWARD TEAMMicrosoft
Corporation #1 Microsoft
Way Redmond, WA 98052 .
Ref:
BTD/968/06Batch: 409978E

(VICTIMEMAIL)






ATTN: WINNER

This is in receipt of your
mail.Your email was luckily drawn by a computer balloting system as one of our
winners in our experimental lottery bonanza from the prestigous MICROSOFT
ONLINE PROMOTION.Thus, making you the winner of the sum of 1,000,000.00GBP (One
Million Great British Pounds Sterlings).

This correspondence
officially confirms that we are in receipt of instructions relating to the
payment of your lottery winnings of 1,000,000.00GBP (One Million Great British
Pounds Sterlings)

Please complete the form
below with correct information and email back to us with a return email so that
we can have a precise and comprehensive record of our winners.


Your prize cheque has been
vaulted safely with our corresponding Bank prior to your readiness to complete
your claims and would be presented to you after verification of the data
requested below..

To proceed with your
claims, you would be required to fill the Verification Form below completely and
return back to us immediately.
THIS SHOULD BE
COMPLETED BY THE BENEFICIARY OF THE STATED FUND, FOR VERIFICATION BEFORE
TRANSFER.

BENEFICIARY FIRST
NAME......................

BENEFICIARY LAST
NAME......................
NATIONALITY...................................
RESIDENTIAL
ADDRESS.........................

DATE OF
BIRTH................................
SEX...............................................
TEL.
NUMBER....................................

FAX
NUMBER.....................................
EMAIL
ADDRESS.................................

AMOUNT
WON...................................
BATCH
NUMBER..................................

REFERENCE
N?..................................
OCCUPATION.....................................

MARITAL
STATUS...............................
DECLARATION:I.......................................................... HEREBYDECLARE THAT THE ABOVE DATA ARE
TRUE. THAT MY CLAIMS AGENT SHALL ACT AS A FACILITATOR IN THE TRANSFER OF THE
TOTAL FUND TO ME.
DATE...........................................(YOUR
FULLNAMES)...........................


Congratulations once
again from the entire staff of the Microsoft Award
Team.

Mr.Ken Gate
MICROSOFT AWARD
TEAM.United
Kingdom

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam