419 scam: "Web Host Group Award" <info.award@skype.com> Contact courier to claim your $1,000,000.00 Bank Draft

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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:
- "million us dollars" (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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "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)
- "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "certified bank draft" (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. )
- "royalmailcourieruk@royal.net" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
- "royalmailcourieruk@royal.net" (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: "Web Host Group Award" <info.award@skype.com>
Reply-To: RoyalMailCourierUK@royal.net
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:35:29 +0800
Subject: Contact courier to claim your $1,000,000.00 Bank Draft

Web Host Group Award
On-Line Winning Notification Department,
Suite 23-30, Greenwich Towers, Dublin-Ireland;
United Kingdom.

Attn: Email Account Owner,

The prestigious Web Host Award Group has set out and successfully
organized a Sweepstakes marking the new year anniversary. We rolled out
over $9,000.000.00 (Nine Million US Dollars) for the 2010 New Year
Anniversary Promotion/Draws.

We happily announce to you the draw of 2010 ON-LINE WINNING PROMOTIONAL
AWARD held annually in Dublin, Ireland. Your e-mail address attached to
ticket number: 342903 and draw lucky number: 14,92,65,83; which
subsequently won you promotion in the 1st category of file number:
FA1265U-ID. You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of
$1,000,000.00 (One million US dollar) in International Certified Bank
Draft.

All participants in this promotion were selected randomly through a
computer ballot system, drawn from 100,000,000 individuals email addresses
from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their e-business patronage.
However, no tickets were sold but all email addresses were attached to
different ticket numbers for representation and privacy. Your e-mail
address was picked by the automated computer ballot system, which has been
programmed for this random selection.

This promotional program held annually was promoted and sponsored by
Microsoft Inc©, Yahoo! & Skype© ITC Companies as a humanitarian aid to
eradicate poverty, in line with the Global 2020 Vision and the promotion
was set-up to encourage the active users of the Internet. Please note that
your lucky winning number falls within our Representative's booklet in
London, United Kingdom; as indicated in your file number: FA1265U -ID.

Sequel to this, your $1,000,000.00 (One million US dollar) International
Certified Bank Draft have be released and forwarded to the Queen's
Messenger Royal Diplomatic Courier for the immediate processing/delivery
of your bank draft. You are hereby informed to contact the Queen's
Messenger Governmental Courier office in London, United Kingdom with the
below contact information:

Sir. Rice Gibson (Ph.D)
Director of Operations,
Queen's Messenger Governmental Courier
Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1A, United Kingdom.
Tel: {+44} 871 2370 537, {+44} 703 1894 240
Email: RoyalMailCourierUK@royal.net

Fill the following details below to enable the speedy processing/delivery
of your bank draft, send to RoyalMailCourierUK@royal.net
{1.} Name, {2.} Home address, {3.} Contact number, {4.} Age, {5.}
Occupation & Designation, {6.} Sex {7.} File number, {8.} Ticket number.

For security purposes and clarity we advice that you keep your winning
information confidential and not to be disclosed to anyone until your
claim have been fully processed and your bank draft is delivered to you.
BE WARNED!!!

Congratulations to you!!!

Yours Faithfully,

Prof. Joans Van Muller (MRS)
{Coordinator, 2010 ON-LINE WEB HOST GROUP AWARD}

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam