419 scam: Google Incoporation <awards@google.co.uk> Notification Date: 28/07/2009

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
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. )
- "sir.richardscholes01@live.com" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
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!

Fraud email example:

From: Google Incoporation <awards@google.co.uk>
Reply-To: sir.richardscholes01@live.com
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:20:11 +0200
Subject: Notification Date: 28/07/2009

Google Incorporations.
Stamford New Road,
Altrincham Cheshire,
WA14 1EP
London,
United Kingdom.

Winning No: GUK/877/798/2009
Ticket No: GUK/699/33/2009
Notification Date: 28/07/2009

GOOGLE ANNIVERSARY WINNING NOTIFICATION.

We wish to congratulate you once again on this note, for being part of
our winners selected this year.This promotion was set-up to
encourage the active users of the Google search engine and the Google
ancillary services. Hence we do believe with your winning prize, you
will continue to be active and patronage to the Google search engine.
Google is now the biggest search engine worldwide and in an effort to
make sure that it remains the most widely used search engine, we ran
an online e-mail beta test which your email address won 450,000. {Four
Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling}.

We wish to formally announce to you that you have successfully passed
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 Google Promotion Award Team, You have therefore won the
entire sum of 450,000.00 {Four Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great
British Pounds Sterling} and also a certificate of prize claims will
be sent along side your winning cheque.

Sir Richard Scholes.
Foreign Transfer Manager
Google Security Department.
E-mail:sir.richardscholes01@live.com

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 Name/Sex.
(5) Occupation/Age.
(6) Ever won an online lottery?

The Google Promotion Award Team 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 Google Promotion Award Team 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 Google interactive
Lotteries Board Commission.

Sincerely,
Dr. Donald Lloyd
Google Promotion Award Team.
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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam