419 scam: "Microword.com Corporation: 2010 NewYear Official Winnings Notifications"<mircoword2009promo@iespana.es> 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:

The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "cost of transfer" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "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)
- "we advice you" (this email uses bad English)
- "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. )
- "demanda_el_departamento@ozu.es" (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: "Microword.com Corporation: 2010 NewYear Official Winnings Notifications" (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:20:54 +0100
Subject: Notice

MICROWORD.COM CORPORATIONS
CUSTOMER SERVICE: TARRAGONA ESPANA.
ADDRESS: C/ L'ESTANY, PARC. 2, 43006 TARRAGONA - SPAIN.
MICROWORD.COM RESOURCE ADVERTISING LINK: http://www.microword.com/

Date: 20/02/2010.

MICROWORD.COM. 2010 -NEW YEAR OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We write to inform you that your email address has won, in the microword.com internet promotions. Your email address was selected randomly from the microword.com automatic computer generated machine, and your email address emerges as one of the online winners. This attracts a prize of six hundred thousand Euros only (600,000.00 Euro Only.
*Your won cheque of Six hundred thousand Euros (600,000.00Euro Only) will be presented to you on arrival to our office in Tarragona, within the period of 15 days, after you completely fill the claims form.
*If you are unable to come to our office in Tarragona- Spain to claim your won prize, your won prize will be presented to you via our contracted bank. Take note: Microword.com is not responsible for the transfer changes to your location. You will pay for the cost of transfer yourself. Please do not respond to this option, if you know, you will not pay for the bank services.
Please note: The Transfer and all documents are packaged to be delivered less than one way bill by the contracted bank and are categorized as high priority & express delivery under applicable laws and regulations. This shipment cannot be delivered to P.O. boxes or postal codes but only to you the receiver at your given address.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information's, on how to claim your prize, do contact our promotions department via the email below or via telephone, and quote this reference number: MSFT/ 2009/TTVZXP/ DEC 1-23/ TLKQZX, as you contact our promotion department. This reference number is the security key to your winnings, we advice you keep the reference number to yourself.

Contact Microword promotion department:
Tel: 0034- 658-210-517
ADDRESS: C/ L'ESTANY, PARC.
2, 43006 TARRAGONA - SPAIN
Email:demanda_el_departamento@ozu.es

This promotion is organized by microword.com to advertise and to promote our website, http://www.microword.com/, which is based on all kind internet companies, all kind of computer hardware and software product. This promotion is as well organized to encourage the use of the Internet user and to promote computer literacy worldwide.
Congratulations to you lucky winner!

Sincerely,
Mr. Williams .F Luis.
CEO. MSFT Word Resource Tarragona.
Copyright © 1994-2010 Microword.Com All rights reserved.
===========================================================
NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: THIS E-MAIL IS MEANT FOR ONLY THE INTENDED RECIPIENT OF THE TRANSMISSION, AND MAY BE
A COMMUNICATION PRIVILEGED BY LAW.
IF YOU RECEIVED THIS E- MAIL IN ERROR, ANY REVIEW, USE, DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION OR COPYING OF THIS E-MAIL
IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
PLEASE NOTIFY MICROWORD.COM IMMEDIATELY OF THE ERROR BY RETURN E-MAIL AND PLEASE DELETE THIS MESSAGE FROM
YOUR SYSTEM. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam