joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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 XMAS BONUS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <costumerdesk@mdcs-onlinuk.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:50:06 -0800
Subject: Microsoft Internet E-mail lottery Awards Numbers: McST/007/NL0147

Microsoft Xmas Bonus Department.
New Stamford Road,
Altrincham Cheshire
WA14 1EP
London.
United Kingdom.
 
 
 
 
 
Batch numbers: MC11/834/8PDH /EU
Serial Numbers: McST/007/NL0147.
 
 
 
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 this month of DECEMBER  2010, in London United Kingdom. Where your email address emerged as one of the online Winning emails in the 2nd category and therefore attracted a cash award of 850,000.00 Gbp {Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling's}.
 
 
 
The selection process was carried out through random selection in our Computerized Email Selection System (C.E.S.S.) from a database of over a million email addresses from each continent of the world wide web drawn from all the continents of the world.
 
 
 
They are arranged in this format below:
CATEGORY    NO.OF WINNERS     WINNING PRIZES
1st.                   (2)             1.000.000.00 pounds each
2nd.                   (9)              850,000.00 pounds each
3rd.                   (13)             750,000.00 pounds each
4th.                   (27)             550,000.00 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: NL 56/7766
(2) Email ticket numbers: EAASL-130877
(3) Batch numbers: MC11/834/8PDH /EU
(4) Reference numbers: HL/5574/41/07/MICS
(5)Serial Numbers: McST/007/NL0147
 
 
 
For verification purpose be sure to include:
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM-:
1. Full Names:
2. Sex:
3. Age:
4. Marital Status:
5. Nationality:
6. Residential Address: :
7. Occupation/Position Held:
8. Telephone Number:
 
 
 
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.ROBERT PETER
MICROSOFT SECURITY DEPARTMENT (UK).
M.S. PRO. ZONAL COORDINATOR.
Email:    mr.robertpeter@hotmail.co.uk
                     costumerdesk@mdcs-onlinuk.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.
 
 
 
 
Once again on behalf of all our staff, we say CONGRATULATIONS!!!
 
 
 
 
Sincerely,
MICROSOFT DIRECTORATE UNIT
M.S.PRO. ZONAL COORDINATOR.

Anti-fraud resources: