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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• 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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",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 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.
  • +447045788753 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT LOTTO AWARD TEAM" <microsoftemail2@mail.mn>
Reply-To: microsoftlotoaward2008@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:41:58 -0700
Subject: MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT 2008


MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT 2008
REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
BATCH: 4583JL/WIN
Tel:+447045788753

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. British pound
sterling 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 3-76-06-54-42-100. 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 winning numbers 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)

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO SEND THE BELOW INFORMATION REQUIRED TO CLAIM
YOUR WINNING PRIZE:
1. Full Name: ..............................................................
2. Address:
..................................................................
3. Nationality:
.............................................................
4. Age: .........................Date of Birth: ........................
5. Occupation: .............................................................
6. Phone: ...............Phone 2: ...................Fax: no........
7. State of Origin: ......................Country: ..................

Sincerely,
Dr Andrew Georgetown
Tel:+447045788753

Mrs. Maria C. Bill
Online Co-ordinator
Secretary
LOTTERY SPONSOR
Microsoft Corporation U.K.
2008

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam