419 scam: Microsoft Window Live Team <info@msn.com> Congratulation!!You Just Won =?iso-8859-1?b?KKM2NTAsMDAwLjAwKQ==?=

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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.
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 Window Live Team <info@msn.com>
Reply-To: mwindowsinc@windowslive.com
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:31:46 -0500
Subject: Congratulation!!You Just Won =?iso-8859-1?b?KKM2NTAsMDAwLjAwKQ==?=

The Microsoft Windows Incorporation
Croxteth Drive Liverpool
L17 1AA,
United Kingdom.
Ref: XYL /26510460037/05
Batch: 24/00319/IPD
Winning number:ML/09788/60
FROM: THE PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS DEPT.

Congratulations winner

The Board of Directors and the International Promotion Department of
Microsoft Windows Live Inc.in conjunction with the EuroMillions Intl wish
to gladly inform you that your email has won a prize money of ?650,000.00
(Six Hundred and Fifty thousand,Great Britain Pounds Sterling)on our
Online Monthly NCSP(NEWYEAR CRISIS SOLUTION PROMO) programme.

Microsoft window Inc., collects all the email addresses of the people that
are active online,among the millions that subscribed to various
Hotmail,Gmail,Yahoo and other internet users.

This is a programme aimed to encourage active internet users of the
Microsoft Window and also help families with the current Global crisis
allover(Europe,American,Asia and Africa), hence no ticket was sold.

To claim your winning prize you are to send the following information
about your self to the claims processing manager for verification &
direction.Do contact the processing manager with the below contact
information;
***************************************************************
Name:Mr. James Dowells
E-mail: mwindowsinc@windowslive.com
Claims Processing Manager, Payment and Release order Department,
***************************************************************
1.FULL NAMES:
2.CONTACT ADDRESS:
3.AGE:
4.TELEPHONE NUMBER:
5.SEX:
6.OCCUPATION:
7.NATIONALITY:
8.COUNTRY:
9.HOW DO YOU FEEL AS A LUCKY WINNER:
10.I____________________________ hereby declare that the above information
is true and binding on me.If at any time it is discovered that I have
given false information, I will forfeit my rights to my winnings.Be
further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until
the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent
claims.This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming
and unwarranted abuse of this programme.

Make Sure this Verification and Funds Release Form is sent to the
payment/release order officer for quick verification and funds release
purpose.

Congratulations from me and members of staff of the THE MICROSOFT
WINDOWS CORPORATION.

Mrs. Susan Pat
Online coordinator

?2009 Microsoft Corporation

_______________________________________________________
Instituto Departamental de Salud de Nariño
Calle 14 Numero 28-20 Plazuela de Bomboná
Telefono 7235314
http://www.idsn.gov.co

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam