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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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• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• 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 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:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
• 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.
  • +447045720448 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY U.K. <micro@onlinenotification.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:07:13 +0000
Subject: LETTER OF INQUIRY






































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,

We understand your plight Sir and has taken appropriate standards. As such we will like to ask this question of which is the right to know from you your stances on the issue of claiming your prize won. Hence, Have you contacted the courier Company concerning the delivery of your winnings or rather have you claimed your winnings? Please be specific to this question when replying, as we await your response to this effect, ok?

Have a nice and splendid day Sir.

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