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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Microsoft@" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <williams.adams@sify.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:43:10 +0100
Subject: 2010 WINNING NOTIFICATION

Microsoft Promotion Award Team
Dr.Helen Gibson
Stamford New Road,
Altrincham Cheshire
WA14 1EP
London.
United Kingdom.
YOUR MSFT WORD RESOURCE ADVERTISING LINK:
 
OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION.
 
It is obvious that this notification will come to you as a surprise but please find time to read it carefully as we congratulate you over your success in the following official publication of results of the E-mail electronic online Sweepstakes organized by Microsoft, in conjunction with the foundation for the promotion of software products, (F.P.S.) held in London UK. Where in your email address emerged as one of the online Winning emails in the 2nd category and therefore attracted a cash award of 650,000,00:Pounds Sterling {Six Hundred And FiftyThousand Great British Pounds}
 
 
They are arranged in this format below:
 
CATEGORY NO.OF WINNERS WINNING PRIZES
1st. 950,000.00 pounds each
2nd. 650,000.00 pounds each
3rd. 350,000.00 pounds each
4th. 250,000.00 pounds each
 
We write to officially notify you of this award and to advise you to contact the processing office immediately upon receipt of this message for more information concerning the verification, processing and eventual payment of the above prize to you. It is important to note that your award information was released with the following particulars attached to it.
 
(1) Award numbers: MLAT#2009
(2) Email ticket numbers: 1587-5896-4598-87,
(3) Batch numbers: 450THL#2009
(4) The file reference numbers: MLY-Y/250-450890
{5} Serial Numbers: McST/776/ML10101
 
For verification purpose be sure to include:
 
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.
 
(1). Your First Name:
{2}. Your Last Name:
(3). Your Contact Address:
(4) Your Nationality/Country:
(5). Your Telephone number:
(6). Sex:
(7). Age. :
(8). Occupation:
(9.) Amount won:
(10). Your Preferred Method Of Receiving Your Prize(From Below)
{11}. Your Next Of Kin:
{12} How Do You Fell Like A Winner:
 
Mode Of Prize Remittance.
 
(1)Cash Pick-Up (You coming Down to United Kingdom Personally to Pick Your Prize).
(2)Courier Delivery Of your Certified Winning Cheque Name and other Winning Documents safely to you.
{3} Postage .
 
To file for your claim, Please contact your Validating Officer for VALIDATION of your winning within Twenty-nine working days of this winning notification. Winnings that are not validated within Twenty-nine working days of winning notification are termed void and invalid. You are required to mention the above particulars of your award in every correspondence to enable the Agent validate your winning.
 
****************************************************************************
 
FOREIGN TRANSFER MANAGER
Mr.Williams adams
MICROSOFT SECURITY DEPARTMENT (UK).
PHONE: +44 703 195 6588
E-mail: williams.adams@sify.com
****************************************************************************
 
The Microsoft Internet E-mail lottery Awards is sponsored by our CEO/Chairman, Bill Gates and a consortium of software promotion companies. The Intel Group, Toshiba, Dell Computers and other International Companies. The Microsoft internet E-mail draw is held periodically and is organized to encourage the use of the Internet and promote computer literacy worldwide. The Microsoft Window lottery has discovered a huge number of double claims due to winners informing close friends relatives and third parties about their winning and also sharing their pin numbers.
As a result of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. The Microsoft lottery has reached a decision from headquarters that any double claim discovered by the Lottery Board will result to the Canceling of that particular winning, making a loss for both the double claimer and the real winner, as it is taken that the real winner was the informer to the double claimer about the lottery. So you are hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings strictly confidential until you claim your prize.
 
Once again on behalf of all our staff,
 
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
 
Sincerely,
 
MICROSOFT DIRECTORATE UNIT.
 
M.S.PRO. ZONAL COORDINATOR.

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