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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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:

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT EMAIL LOTTERY AWARD PROMOTION: UNITED KINGDOM" <microsoft20073@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: microsoft2007@freeukisp.co.uk
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:29:29 -0700
Subject: FROM MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT 2008.


FROM MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT 2008.
REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
BATCH: 4583JL/WIN
MICROSOFT EMAIL LOTTERY AWARD PROMOTION: UNITED KINGDOM

Finally today, we announce the winners of the MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO
WINNINGS PROGRAMS held early this month 2008. Your company or your personal
e-mail address, attached to winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100, With serial
number 647489, consequently won in the Tenth lottery category. You have
been approved for lump sums pay out of 850,000. (Eight hundred and fifty
thousand pounds sterlings) in cash Credited to file REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. Selection process was carried out
through random selection in our computerized email selection machine
(TOPAZ) from a database of over 1,000,000 email addresses drawn from all the
continents of the world.

The online draws was conducted by a random selection of email addresses
from an exclusive list of 29,031 E-mail addresses of individuals and
corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search
from the internet. No ticket were sold but all email addresses were
assigned to different ticket numbers for representation and privacy. This is
to encourage our prominent Microsoft Internet Explorer users all over the
world, and for the Continues use of E-mail. Your fund has been insured with
your REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. To claim
your winning prize, You are to reply to this letter In order to avoid
unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your
reference and winningnumbers in all correspondences with your claims
officer. 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) for delivery of your Winning
Cheque

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO SEND THE BELOW INFORMATION REQUIRED TO CLAIM
YOUR WINNING PRIZE: TO THE ONLINE CO-ORDINATOR OF THIS PROGRAM. YOU WILL
FIND HIS DIRECT CONTACT INFORMATION AT THE END OF THIS MESSAGE.

1. Full Name: ............................................
2. Address: .................
3. Nationality: ..........................................
4. Age: .......................Date of Birth: ............
5. Occupation: ........................................
6. Phone: ...............Fax 2: ........................
7. State of Origin: ............Country: ..................

Rev.George Smith
Online Co-ordinator
Tel:+44-704-5731-949
Best Regards,

Secretary
Mrs. Maria C. Bill
LOTTERY SPONSOR

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