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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: "MRS. BROWN CATHY" <uknettopmicrosoft@yahoo.com.au>
Date: Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:33:27 +0200
Subject: CONGRATULATION! CONGRATULATION!! CONGRATULATION!!!


[http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/f-r-i-e-n-d-z/](Microsoft src="http://i2.microsoft.com/h/all/i/ms_masthead_8x6a_ltr.jpg)(MSN src="http://i2.microsoft.com/h/en-us/i/msnlogo.gif)
(Ballou international spinning globe) (arabtrans@arabtrans.com src="http://www.arabtrans.com/email.gif) [http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=arabtrans@arabtrans.com]FROM: THE DESK OF THE MICROSOFT PROMOTIONS MANAGER INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,61-70 SOUTHAMPTON ROW, BLOOMSBURY LONDON UNITED KINGDOMWC1B 4AR. REF.:PEC/9030108308/07.
Batch: 15/76/EF36. Serial No: SALP97585. Winning No. 21528414246 Bonus 3
ELECTRONIC EMAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER UNITED KINGDOM: ATTN: WINNER, Microsoft co-operation management worldwide is pleased to inform you that you are a winner of our annual MICROSOFT USER AWARD-Lottery conducted in United Kingdom on 4th July 2008, your personal e-mail address or company email was attached to Serial No: SALP97585. Consequently winning in the first lottery category. All participants were selected through our Microsoft computer ballot system,drawn from Canada, Asia, Australia, United States, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania .As part of international "MICROSOFT USER" promotions program, This promotion takes place annually, and your lucky winning number falls within our European booklet representative office in Europe as indicated in your play coupon. You have therefore been approved for a total sums of £1,000,000.00 (One Million British Pounds Sterling Only)Credited to FILE No: B665 75608567. With REF.:PEC/9030108308/07. This is from total prize money of £60,000,000.00 shared among the Seventy-five (75) lucky Worldwide winners in first category. ** ***Please be informed by this winning notification, to file your claims, you are to make contact with your designated agent in London United Kingdom who shall by duty guide you through the process to facilitate the release of your prize. To file for your claim Please Contact him with the below information: *** *Mr. Scott Fox Tel: + 44 703 193 1441Fax:+ 44 870 479 3598: lottoagent111@yahoo.co.uk [http://au.mc461.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lottoagent111@yahoo.co.uk] *Address: 157-197 Buckingham palace roads London sw1w 9sp
*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.*** Note, all prize money must be claimed within 30 days of this notification. All funds not claimed on or before the fixed date will be returned as unclaimed and donated to charity organizations. Congratulations, once more from the entire management and staff of Microsoft co-operation to all our lucky winners this year. For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize released to you.
Thank you for being part of this promotional lottery program. [http://www.clovischristian.com/05-06%20Staff%20Pics/Mrs._Burdan.JPG] * * [http://images.google.co.za/imgres?imgurl=http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/media/thumbs/MiaAdjali.jpg_2628_thumb500x440.jpg&amp;imgrefurl=http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/news/news-1/womens-division-executive-elected-vp-of-world-methodist-womens-body/&amp;h=440&amp;w=500&amp;sz=23&amp;hl=en&amp;start=91&amp;tbnid=zb2LylAD0I_H-M:&amp;tbnh=114&amp;tbnw=130&amp;prev=/images%3Fq%3Dworld%2Bwomen%2Bleaders%26start%3D80%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN] (. src="http://ads1.msn.com/ads/1/0000000001_000000000000000171860.jpg) [http://g.msn.com/0AD0001I/718572.1??PID=3289561&amp;UIT=A&amp;TargetID=1073551&amp;AN=1243611785&amp;PG=HOTH67] CONGRATULATION! CONGRATULATION!! CONGRATULATION!!! Sincerely,**MRS. BROWN CATHY****(SECRETARY)******** ** **AWARD SPONSORS* ***//****/ MICROSOFT CORPORATION./****/Please call your claim agent if your mail was not responded to within 24 hours:/*** ** Copyright © 1998-2008 The MICROSOFT Inc. [http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/_javascript:ol('http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/__javascript:olhttp://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/___javascript:olhttp://www.southall.co.uk/default.asp;;');]
All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guideline** [http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/f-r-i-e-n-d-z/]
[http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/f-r-i-e-n-d-z/](Microsoft src="http://i2.microsoft.com/h/all/i/ms_masthead_8x6a_ltr.jpg)(MSN src="http://i2.microsoft.com/h/en-us/i/msnlogo.gif)* [http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/f-r-i-e-n-d-z/]


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