419 scam: "Microsoft Award Team" <info@award.com> Internet Award

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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 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +447035934248 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: "Microsoft Award Team" <info@award.com>
Reply-To: prize.department01@9.cn
Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 21:08:26 -0300 (BRT)
Subject: Internet Award

Microsoft Award Team
120 Craven Park,
London NW10
United Kingdom
Ref: BTD/968/05

Batch number.......ZA09133GD
Ref number........ZQ34455DG
Winning number.....ZX09789DG

Dear Internet User,

This email message is sent to you after a meeting held by Bill Gates and
YAHOO/MSN INC & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, United Kingdom. On the great support
that he has made one of the best means of communication which is the
Internet.

And this is to inform you that, after this meeting a sum of funds was
awarded to some internet users in a Microsoft background of emails
balloting of over One Hundred Million Internet users world wide, and Bill
Gate in conjunction with YAHOO/MSN INC & MICROSOFT WINDOWS awarded this
EMAIL the sum of Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds
(£750,000.00).

Please as you receive this email do let us know by filling for your claim,
and you are required to provide us with the information below for
verification:

Full Name:
Re-Confirming Mailing address:
Permanent house address:
Residing Country:
Phone Number:
Age:
Sex:
Occupation:

This is a Bill Gates and Yahoo/MSN Microsoft Internet award, for internet
users.

''CONTACT EVENT MANAGER''

Mr. Brown Walter
Email:- prize.department01@9.cn
Tell:- +44-703-5934-248
+44-703-5952-199

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs. Kate Foster
Online Announcer.

© 2010 Microsoft & Yahoo! Inc

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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam