joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"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!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• 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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • micheal_derek22@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • 3amicheal_derek22@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "Microsoft Lottery commission" <microl2@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: micheal_derek22@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:08:19 +0100
Subject: Microsoft Lottery Corporation


Microsoft Lottery Corporation
One Microsoft Way, Central London,
London CRA3 2LU.
United Kingdom.

Dear Lucky Winner.

We wish to congratulate you once again on this note, for being part of our
winners selected this month. This promotion was set-up to encourage the
active users of the Internet Microsoft Windows.Hence we do believe with your
winning prize, you will continue to be active and patronage to the Microsoft
Lottery Corporation. I wish to formally announce to you that you have
successfully pass the requirements, statutory obligations, verifications,
validations and satisfactory report Test conducted for all online winners.A
winning cheque will be issued in your name by the Microsoft Lottery
Corporation board, You have therefore won the entire sum of 450,000.00 {Four
Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds} and also a certificate of
prize claims will be sent along side your winnings cheque.You are to make
contact with your designated agent who shall by duty guide you through the
process of facilitate the release of your Prize.To file your claim, Please
contact your Foreign Transfer Manager :

Mr. Michael Derek
Microsoft Lottery Corporation
EMAIL:micheal_derek22@yahoo.co.uk <EMAIL%3Amicheal_derek22@yahoo.co.uk>

You are advised to contact your Foreign Transfer Manager with the following
details to avoid unnecessary delay and complications:VERIFICATION AND
FUNDS RELEASE FORM.

(1) Your contact address.
(2) Your Tel/Fax numbers.
(3) Your Nationality/Country.
(4) Your Full Names.
(5) Occupation/Age.
(6) Your Preferred Method Of Receiving Your Prize(From Below)Mode Of Prize
Remittance.(1)Cash Pick-Up (You coming Down to United Kingdom Personally to
Pick Your Prize).

(2)Courier Delivery Of your Certified Winning Cheque Name and other Winning
Documents safely to you.The Microsoft Lottery Corporation has discovered a
huge number of double claims due to winners informing close friends
relatives and third
parties about their winning and also sharing their pin numbers. As a result
of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real
winners.

The Microsoft Lottery Corporation has reached a decision from headquarters
that any double claim discovered by the Lottery Board
will result to the canceling of that particular winning, making a loss for
both the double claimer and the real winner, as it is taken that the real
winner was the informer to the double claimer about the lottery. So you are
hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings strictly
confidential until you claim your prize.

Congratulations
Mr. Smith White.
MS. PRO SUPERVISOR (LOTTERY DEPARTMENT)
UNITED KINGDOM.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam