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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: "Microsoft Online Winning Promotion" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr-williamsnln06@live.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:48:17 +0100
Subject: Microsoft Online Notification""

Microsoft Corporations
Stamford New Road,
Altrincham Cheshire,
WA14 1EP
London,
United Kingdom.
YOUR MSFT WORD RESOURCE ADVERTISING LINK:
http://www.microword.com/
 
MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION.
 
We wish to congratulate you once again on this note, for being part of our winners selected at the end of year's award promotion. 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 Windows. We wish to formally announce to you that you have successfully passed the requirements, statutory obligations, verifications, validations and satisfactory report Test conducte for all on line winners.
 
 
A winning {CHEQUE} will be issued in your name by Microsoft Corporation board, You have therefore won the entire sum of £450,000,00 {Four Hundred And FiftyThousand Great British Pounds} and also a certificate of prize claims will be sent along side your winnings cheque, You are to contact your claim agent immediately with the below needed informations.
{Mr.Williams Nolan}
 
Microsoft Promotion Award Team
Email: mr-williamsnln06@live.com
Phone Num+447031972944
+447031949778
Fax +448704796623
 
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) sex
{6} Age.
{7}Occupation/
(8) 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 Windows 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 interative Lotteries Board Commission
 
Sincerely,
 
{Dr.Chucks Brown}
Microsoft Promotion Award Team

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