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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:

• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft corp world lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "00,000.00" (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 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.
  • +2348065999778 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT LOTTERY" <microlottery@mobimail.mn>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:49:17 +0100
Subject: Read Your Email Now


Dear prize winner,
I am your claims agent Mr Benjamin Chuks, your email address has won a prize
in the MICROSOFT CORP WORLD LOTTERY AWARD International programs held in
United Kingdom , You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
£400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand United Kingdom Pounds) in cash credited
to file MSW-L/200-26937.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE Simply contact the paying bank of Oceanic
International plc ,they will immediately commence the process to facilitate
the release of your winning prize money. The bank contacts details is shown
below:

BANK NAME : OCEANIC BANK INTERNATIONAL PLC
BANK PHONE: +2348065999778
CONTACT PERSON: MR.EMEKA CHUKWUKA
BANK EMAIL : oceanicbankplc@mail.mn


Our special thanks and gratitude to BILL GATES and his associates. We wish
you the best of luck as you spend your good fortune in this season. For
security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information
confidential untill your cash prize is processed and your winning money
remitted to you.

NB: PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL BECAUSE YOU MIGHT NOT BE ATTENDED TO,
KINDLY CONTACT THE BANK DIRECTLY FOR FURTHER DIRECTIONS.


Thanks
Claims Agent
Mr Ben. Chuks

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam