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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: "officeatwork0 Gazeta.pl" <alexander_fisherman@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:33:38 +0700
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION:MSW/56B-672GH/L


Yahoo&Microsoft Lottery Incorporation
Eldon House, 2 Dorset Street
London W1U 4BB
REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
Batch: Mcs/989/989/#34


The prestigious Microsoft and Yahoo has set out and successfully organized a
Sweepstakes marking the new year 2008 anniversary, we rolled out over
4,500,000.00 (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds) for
our end of year the Anniversary Draws. Participants for the draws were
randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy
their patronage.

You have been approved for lump sums pay out of £450,000.00 GBP (Four
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds 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 tickets 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 Continuous use of E-mail.

Your fund (Certified Cashiers Cheque) 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 must first contact your Foreign Transfer Manager by email for
Processing and remittance of your prize to you.

Mr.Alexander Fisherman
Email: alexanderfisherman@msn.com
Alternative Email: alexander_fisherman@msn.com
Foreign Transfer Manager.
Yahoo&Microsoft Lottery Incorporation

You are advised to contact your Foreign Transfer Manager with the following
details to avoid unnecessary delays and complications:

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.
(1) Your contact address.
(2) Your Tel/Fax numbers.
(3) Your Full Names.
(4) Your Nationality/Country
(5) Occupation/Company
(6) Age/Gender

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 Yahoo&Microsoft Lottery lottery 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 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 from the Staffs & Members of the interactive Lotteries
Board Commission.

Sincerely,
Mr.Mathew Colesmith.

Anti-fraud resources: