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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: "Mrs. Katherine Norlan MSD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <supports.msw@live.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:32:21 +0100
Subject: Update Required..Trust Me.

Microsoft Windows e-Mail Award

I truly understand what might be going through your heart right now, most especially the increase in the rate of internet scams, fraud etc, yes, it call for skepticisms, but we want to give you the assurance that everything is alright. You will not be required to pay any other charges, this I assure you. The fact that you did not purchase any ticket from the start is what been skeptic, we are doing this as a new invention and we do not want to record default. We want to promote the strong use of the E-mail system.


Yes, we are suppose to take care of this very little insurance charge, but to be sincere with you, the mistake came from us, and all we calculated was the £27.5, million pounds in all, £5.5, million pounds each for the five winners. We are new to this so we were not aware of what to go through. Though Ignorance is not an excuse, but, take my words, this award is real, I feel so bad when you do not take my words. We have contacted you in three occasions with no response from you. It is none of my duties to be telling you this, but I want to give you the assurance the opportunity to claim what is rightfully yours.


I am a happily married Christian, 42 years old with 3 kids, I have worked with this company for 22 year and 52 days today, trust me I will not deceive you in any way and my dreams do not lie. I do not want you to regret this. I know if you claim these award we all will be happy, and my family and I could come visit you. I know we have not met before neither have we had any business connections in the past; But I want you to give me the benefit of doubt and claim this award. I do not pray that you have any problem, but if you do I will personally refund to you whatever you pay for the insurance and delivery charge.


I believe this question will likely come from you, "why not pay for me and when I get this award I pay you back" The fact is this, as an employee we are not allowed to do so, trust me. I pray I do not get sacked for what I am doing right now; I am going beyond my limits. I have to fulfill what I saw in my dreams. Many people will tell you this is fraud, trust me there are so many fraud out there, Imposters claiming to be working with us, this are all lies. But this is the only promotion we have ever had and this is the first real E-mail promotion. I want you to give me the benefit of doubt and have a re-think. If you do not claim these award before deadline the funds would be returned back to Microsoft, even if you are not in need of this money why not claim it and give it to the poor and needy it will help so many people.


Two out of the five selected winners are enjoying their prizes, though they are from a Middle class home so they could afford the charges with no complains. You might call our USA office and they will tell you they have nothing to do with any promotion, yes, because, it was what we agreed on. This Promotion is all about promoting the Use of "E-MAILS" and not to promote mobile phones it was explained to you in the first two previous mails sent to you. I know you want something more than words; maybe documents or something more like a guarantee to proof how real this is, I cannot do more than I have done. I do not want to get into trouble. The truth remains that my heart will be free because I have told you. I do not have much to tell you now, but if I have I will contact you.


Let me give you little about trust:


Trust is a relationship of reliance. A trusted party is presumed to seek to fulfill policies, ethical codes, law and their previous promises. Trust does not need to involve belief in the good character, vices, or morals of the other party. Also trust does not need to include an action that you and the other party are mutually engaged in. Trust is a prediction of reliance on an action, based on what a party knows about the other party. Trust is a statement about what is otherwise unknown -- for example, because it is far away, cannot be verified, or is in the future.


Send the insurance charge to our account officer, make sure you fax payment receipt to our office and also send the information's by email. Once again I give you my words, I will not lie to you, take my words and do not lose this opportunity, if you do not want it for yourself, then claim it and give it to the poor, God will bless you more trust me. I will be more than happy to see you claim this award.


Another problem about this promotion is this, it is not an open promotion; it will come up on TV and other news papers all over the World once all claims are completed. I am not supposed to tell you all this but if it will make you happy and make you have a re-think. These are the company’s secretes I am not to disclose. Sorry my grammar might not be too good, I am Spanish by birth but British national. Thanks for your understanding I wish you the best.


Do have a re-think. To succeed in life there are some decisions you take, they might look risky but sometimes they come out good trust me, this is no risk.


Senior Secretary,
Mrs. Katherine Norlan MSD,

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