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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) 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:
  • "yahoo lottery inc" (no such lottery exists)
• 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.
  • microsoftprizeclaimsmanager0@yahoo.com.hk

Fraud email example:

From: microsoftlottery <microsoftlottery@mxdemocustomer.co.cc>
Reply-To: microsoftprizeclaimsmanager0@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:59:36 +0700
Subject: Dear Lucky Winner



The Msn/Yahoo Lottery Incorporation
PO Box 1010,Liverpool
L70 1NL,United Kingdom.
====================================
Ref: XYL /26510460037/05
Batch: 24/00319/IPD

Dear Lucky Winner

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of &pound;750,000.00
(Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand,Great Britain Pounds Sterling)for
the
Annual 2008 Lottery promotion which is organized by MSN/YAHOO LOTTERY
INC LIVE in conjunction with the MICROSOFT WINDOWS.
MSN/YAHOO WINDOWS, collects all the email addresses of the people that
are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo,Hotmail
and various Microsoft window users, we only select five people as our
winners, through electronic balloting System without the winner
applying.

Msn/Yahoo Lottery Prize must be claimed not later than 13 days from the
date of this Notification after the Draw date in which Prize has won.
Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.

These are your identification numbers:

Ref: XYL /26510460037/05
Batch: 24/00319/IPD
Winning number:YM/09788/60


Our Event Manager will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. For security
reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential
till
your claims is processed and your money remitted to you. This is part
of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted
abuse of this program, Please be warned.

Attached here is the claim verification and funds release form. You are
expected to fill and submit to the event manager.
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM

1.FULL NAMES:__________________________________
2.ADDRESS:__________________________________________
3.SEX:_______________
4.AGE:________
5.MARITAL STATUS:___________________
6.OCCUPATION:___________________
7.E-MAIL ADDRESS:_____________________________
8.TELEPHONE NUMBER:_____________________
9.AMOUNT WON:___________________________________
10. STATE:__________________________________
11. COUNTRY________________________________
12. NEXT OF KIN:_____________________________
13. ZIP CODE:_______________
14:NATIONALITY:___________________________
15:Your Reference and Batch number at the top of this mail:
To file for your claim, please fill and submit your verification form
to our events manager immediately via email.


(CONTACT EVENTS MANAGER)
Name:Mr.Cox Rooney
E-mail: microsoftprizeclaimsmanager0@yahoo.com.hk

Once again congratulations...
Cordially,
Mrs.Shina Patery
Online Co-coordinator
(Msn/Yahoo Lottery Games/Lottery Coordinator).

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam