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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
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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "hundred thousand great british pounds" (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 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.
  • comfotdominic@googlemail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 22:45:58 +0000
Subject: MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION.



Microsoft Promotion Award Team40 Ryecroft Way StopsleyLondon,United Kingdom. ATTN:INTERNET USER, MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION. The prestigious Microsoft and aol has set out and sucessfully organised a Sweepstakes marking the new year 2008 anniversary we rolled out over £1,500.000.00 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Great British Pounds) for our end of year Anniversary Draws. Participants for the draws were randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their patronage.The selection was made through a computer draw system attaching personalised email addresses to ticket numbers. Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running an e-mail beta test. Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to ticket number 0087955827499 with serial numbers MSC/0080648302/08 and drew the lucky numbers 14-21-30-39-40-47(31) which subsequently won you £450,000.00 (Four Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds) as one of the 10 jackpot winners in this draw. You have therefore won the entire winning sum of £450,000.00 (Four Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds). The draws registered as Draw number one was conducted in Brockley, London United Kingdom on the 3rd of Nov. 2008. These Draws are commemorative and as such special. Please be informed by this winning notification,to file your claims,you are to make contact with your designated agent who shall by duty guide you through the process to facilitate the release of your prize.To file for your claim Please Contact your fiduciary agent
Mrs Comfort DominicMicrosoft Promotion Award Team
Email: comfotdominic@googlemail.com
You are advised to contact your fiduciary agent with the following details to avoid unnecessary delays and complications: 1. Your Full Names2. Address & Country 3. Ref: Numbers 4. Batch Number 5. Phone/fax 6. Age / Marital Status7.Occupation.8.A copy of your ID CARD.9.Ammount Won10.How do you Feel as a Winner. Thank you for being part of our commemorative new year Anniversary Draws. Congratulations from the Staffs & Members of the interative Lotteries Board Commission ; Sincerely,Mrs May JohnsonMicrosoft Promotion Award Team

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam