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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft mega jackpot lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "stamp duty" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. )
  • "claims office" (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)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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!
• 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.
  • +447045721234 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY U.K. <micro@onlinenotification.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2007 19:01:14 +0000
Subject: RE: INFORMATION LETTER


























MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY U.K.






REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/LBATCH: 4583JL/WIN

MICROSOFT EMAIL LOTTERY AWARD PROMOTION: UNITED KINGDOM
THE OAKLAND ROUNGE
52 WATERDEN ROAD,
HACKNEY, LONDON,
UNITED KINGDOM
E15 2EE
INFORMATION LETTER


Attention: Alarik Luftmacher,

Knowing well about your health stance we ack, Who are you now and your family mostly your health?

It is nice to hear from you Sir on your plight and willingness to claim your winnings, Hence we acknowledge the receipt of your letter and in reference to replying this swift little note.

Please read to your understanding.

We sorry for the accidental discharge of your as we say and wishes you a happy and healthy live on earth.

To be precisely, this is a world class company and will definitely required your uptimost understanding to propel trust to this firm. Microsft is the leading software company in the world when it comes to Computer and it's application, So you asking the influence or the mode at which we got your details as to electronic mail A.K.A. (e-mail); Let us stress this to you plainly via this medium that your email address was picked from our random selection in our computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database of over 1,000,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world of which made you to be approved for lump sums pay out of £460,000.00 GBP in cash Credited to file REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. So you are lucky enough to have been picked and a Winner of a lump sum amounting to £460,000.00 GBP (Four Hundred And Sixty Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling). So whatever the midlle-aged man from Benin you are talking about should be put to trash as we do not know the said person or know his where about, ok?

Your Prize is well secured and with the Courier Company DELUX DELIVERY SYSTEMS an affiliate to Microsoft Mega Jackpot Lottery here in the United Kingdom. They are to Courier your parcel worth of money (Cash OR Certified Cashiers' Cheque) of your winning amount £460,000.00 GBP as soon as they here from you in aspect of you contacting them as we have advised.

Whatever the means you have been used, please know keenly that in the society today there has been some mischiefs of theft of which some diboius characteristics of persons stand to incure people in the sense of acquiring from them payout. Please take note and be very verse in your thinking. In that case the Microsoft Coorporation stated a new version of security measures that can never be breached of which is you being contacted on a written paper-headed letter of which is the placement of a green writtings on the top left which reads:

REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/LBATCH: 4583JL/WIN

That security stands as the notification and the advise that says"In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and winning numbers in all correspondences with your claims officer. You are to keep all lotto information away from the general public especially your ticket number and ballot number as it is important as a case of double claims will not be entertained." We believe that with this little expression, that some understand might have taken shape.

We shall proceed to conclude the payment process of your Lottery prize by opening for you a claim file. Moreover, as an international winner, you are required to legalize all your winning documents in order to instruct the paying bank to credit your account with the sum of £460,000.00 GBP.

Therefore, we advise that you contact our accredited Courier Delivery Company to act on your behalf in handling the Legal details/delivery your Winnings to you OR come to the United Kingdom for the following procedure:

1) LEGALIZATION OF YOUR DOCUMENTS.2) ENDORSEMENT AND STAMP DUTY.
3) PARCEL/WINNINGS CLEARANCE AND FINALLY THE DELIVERY.

To this end, the endorsement date has been scheduled for 11th of August, 2007.

You are there by notified that your parcel with the identification number DDS/0978 which contains All your winning documents and your Cheque for the amount you won have been sent to an affiliate courier company to this Programme (Deluxe Delivery Courier Systems) to be delivered to you at your address. You are by the receipt of this email advised to get in contact with the courier company immediately for further processes in order for them to commence the delivery of your parcel to you. You are to contact the Customer Care Desk of Delux Delivery Courier System London, United Kingdom.

Below is the Information of the Courier Company to enable you contact them for the processing/delivering of your parcel (Winnings):

DELUXE DELIVERY SYSTEMSDEPOT : GLASSGOW SOUTH8 HOG WOOD LANE, INDUSTRAIL ESTATE, LONDONUNITED KINGDOMEMAIL: info@deluxdelivery.comTEL: +44 704 572 1234
Fax: +44 704 572 1235

Ensure you forward the file reference number to enable the Courier Company identify your file for legalization of the release/delivery of your won price swiftly.

Note that you shall be responsible for the legal charges for this endorsement as well as the delivery of your parcel (Winnings). After the endorsement of your winning documents and all requirements of lottery authorities here in the United Kingdom are met, your file will be passed across to the Courier Company and you shall be contacted by the Delivery Agency for your funds transfer/delivery.

Note that your winning prize has been insured to its real value to ensure that no forms of deductions are made until the sum is finally credited into your designated account. We have issued an Irrevocable Guarantee of Payment Bond (IGPB) in your favour, a copy of which will be forwarded to our paying bank for immediate action.

All rights of any client to this claim can be denied if the release document is not signed in accordance with the provision of The United Kingdom Gaming regulatory Authorities.

Once again, congratulations and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Signed,
The Claims Processor:Name: Mrs. Daines Denzel
E-mail: micro@onlinenotification.co.uk


Tel: +44 704 572 0448
Fax: +44 704 572 0449


Mrs. Daines Denzel
Claims Officer U.K.










Please remember to quote your reference and winning numbers in all correspondences with this office. You are to keep all lotto information away from the general public especially your ticket number and ballot number.
(This is important as a case of double claims will not be entertained)





LOTTERY SPONSOR






Microsoft Corporation U.K.






____________________________________________________________________________________
Microsoft Electronic Mail Lottery is approved and Licensed by the The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam