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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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.
  • +2348062936537 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
  • +2348076293433 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • apexglobaldelivery@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Mr Gladstone wright <agentgladstone_wright@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2007 01:01:42 +0100 (BST)
Subject: NEW PHASE FOR MICOSOFT AWARD WINNERS IN CATEGORY -3(TREAT AS URGENT)




MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM,
20 GLENEAGELE ROAD,
STREATHAM SW16 6AB LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM.
GAMING BOARD OF GREAT BRITAIN
LICENSED. ONLINE BALLOT AWARD,
(Registration 70339411).
REGISTERED UNDER, THE DATA PROTECTION ACT.
MICROSOFT AWARD INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS.
GLOBAL,MAT,GBD/09/08/07.



ATTN: All Winners,










In correspondent with ad-hoc committee meeting held by the General Board of Directors (Dated) GLOBAL,MAT,GBD/07/08/07,in Manchester, England, we the entire members of Microsoft Award Team with profound gratitude happily use this medium to announce to all Winners in the 2007 Microsoft Online Promotion held in London,UK,(CATEGORY 3), that every Winner in the above category now has a cause to smile as Microsft is holding its Online Promotion (CATEGORY 4) in Africa.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Award Team leave no stone unturn by ensuring Winners that could not claim their prizes in the UK'S edition as a result of high cost of remittance ab-initio, are hereby advised to contact the afilliate Courier in CATEGORY 4 of the Promotion as they will now be required to pay lesser price to get their prizes delivered to them as all Parcel has been insured by the Benefactor (MAT) and has paid all the local and federal taxes on behalf of Winners except Courier's Delivery Charge(CDC).

Consequently, Winners in this regard are required (with immediate effect) to furnish the new afilliate Courier Agency with necessary information as stated below.
immediately, using the below given contact information, for further information on the delivery of your award prize parcel to your residential address accordingly.
Thus, you are to contact the international customer care department of our new affiliate company { AIR PARCEL COURIER AND HAULAGE SERVICES}
AIR PARCEL COURIER AND HAULAGE SERVICES,
122/126,FIRST EAST CIRCULAR ROAD,
(BEHIND UNITED NATIONS ORGANISATION SECETARIAT),
BENIN-CITY, NIGERIA.
TEL:234-052-502727290,
MOBILE: +2348062936537, +2348076283232,+2348052458553,
fax: +234-807629343332
E-MAIL: apexglobaldelivery@yahoo.com
CONTACT OFFICER: MR. WILSON CHURCHHILL (POST DIRECTOR)

You are to include the information below in your contact mail to our official accredited delivery firm, requesting complete delivery schedule information of your award prize parcel. Do ensure you include the delivery clearance code to enable easy reference to your winning claims package.

Amount on your certified cheque
BATCH NUMBER: 2006MJL-01,
REF NO: MAT/200-26937,
Name of Fiduciary Agent: Gladstone Wright:(UK,C3)
Clearance code: A2245UK
Your Residential Address and a valid-24hr telephone number.


We indeed do sincerely apologise for the inconveniences that erupted (if any).
Please Get back to us as soon as contact is made for accurate update.

NOTE: ALL WINNERS IN CATEGORY 3 ARE TO CLAIM THEIR PRIZES ON OR BEFORE 15 AUGUST 2007.
SIGN: Mr. Neil Bridge,
Zonal Co-ordinator,
for Microsoft Award /Promotion Team,
London, United Kingdom.

This email and its attachments are confidential and intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s). This email and its attachments may also be privileged or protected by legal rules. If you have received this by mistake please let us know by reply immediately and destroy the email and its attachments without reading, copying or forwarding the contents.




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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam