419 scam: Microsoft =?iso-8859-1?Q?Corporation=AE?= <info@msn.org> NOTICE !!!

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "00,000.00" (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!

Fraud email example:

From: Microsoft =?iso-8859-1?Q?Corporation=AE?= <info@msn.org>
Reply-To: msn_msn_live@msn.com
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:59:01 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: NOTICE !!!

--
These are your identification numbers:
Batch number.....................YM 09102XN
Reff number.......................YM35447XN
Winning number...................YM09788

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of Five hundred
thousand, Great Britain Pounds Sterlings(£500,000.00) for the month of
OCTOBER 2009
Lottery promotion which is organized by MSN LOTTERY INC & WINDOWS LIVE.
MICROSOFT WINDOWS, collects all the email addresses of the
people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to
INTERNET we only select five people every Month as our winners through
electronic balloting System without the winner applying,we congratulate
you for being one of the people selected.

These numbers fall within your Location file, you are requested to
contact the events manager, send your winning identification numbers to
him,to enable him verify your claims.How ever you will have to fill and
submit this form to the events manager for verification & direction on
how you can claim your winning fund.
Forward the following details to help facilitate the processing of your
claims:

1. Full Names............... 2. Address...........
3. Phone Number.....................
4. Sex.............5. Age...........
6.Occupation..........7.Nationality............................
8. Country of Residence...................9. Amount Won.........
10.Date Notified.....................................

(CONTACT EVENTS MANAGER)
=============================
NAME: Dr.Christopher Mcdonald
EMAIL: msn_msn_live@msn.com
=============================

Thank you and Accept my hearty congratulations once again!
Yours faithfully,
Mr.Brain Hunt
(microsoft Lottery Games/Lottery Coordinator).

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam