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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "foreign service manager" (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)
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • ",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)
• 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 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.
  • robertanderson87@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT WORLD LOTTERY" <gracethomas@katamail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:44:52 -0400
Subject: Winner No: 17

Hi,

FROM THE DESK OF E-MAIL
PROMOTIONS MANAGER
INTERNATIONALPROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT,
MICROSOFT CORPORATION WORLD LOTTERY
UNITED KINGDOM.
Reference No:MSW-L/327015002/06
BATCH NO: 2006JULY#414

WINNER NO: 17

ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER:
UNITED KINGDOM

The Board of Directors of Microsoft Worldwide Co-operation Management
announces to you as 1 of our 30 lucky winners of this Year's draw held on
19th of October 2007.

All 30 winning Email Addresses were randomly selected from a batch of
786,000 international emails world-wide.

And your email address emerged alongside with 29 others as the Third
category winner.Consequently you have therefore been approved for a total
pay out of US$1,000,000:00 (One million united states dollars)only.

The following particulars are attached to your lottery payment order.

(i) Ref:MSW-L/327015002/06
(ii) Batch number:2006 July#414
(iii)Tickednumber:214-056-278
(iv) Serial number:s/n-01025
(v) Lucky numbers: 724-595-62-07-45
(vi) Security code MSW/JUN/SS06

Please note that, you are to contact MR. ROBERT ANDERSON, Foreign Service
Manager,London United Kingdom, robertanderson87@excite.com

Endeavour to email this following to Foreign Service Manager that will file
out your claims immediately.

PAYMENT PROCESSING FORM:

1. NAME IN FULL:
2. ADDRESS:
3. NATIONALITY:
4. AGE:
5. SEX
6. OCCUPATION:
7. PHONE/FAX:
8. COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE:
9. CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESS:
===========================================================================
===========================================

1.All claims are nullified after 20 working days from today.

2.Your Ref number must be in all your emails with the Foreign Service
Manager.

3.Do inform the Foreign Service Manager of any change of names or
addresses.

4.Please do not reply to this email. Contact Foreign ServiceManager.
===========================================================================
===========================================
MICROSOFT CORPORATION WORLD LOTTERY is registered with The Gaming Board of
the United Kingdom under Schedule 1A to the Lotteries and Amusements
Act 1976,as amended (LOT 150/1837/2).

Congratulations once again.

SINCERELY,

Mrs.Grace Thomas
(PROMOTIONS MANAGER).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam