419 scam: "MICROSOFT CORPORATION" <solxij5590@att.net> MICROSOFT LOTTERY

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
- "million pounds" (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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "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)
- "united state dollar" (this email uses bad English)
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!
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- smithrowland353@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT CORPORATION" <solxij5590@att.net>
Reply-To: <smithrowland353hotmail.com@smtp128.sbc.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:53:06 +0800
Subject: MICROSOFT LOTTERY

WINNING NOTIFICATION DEPT.,
MSN-MICROSOFT AWARD LOTTERY PROGRAM
United Kingdom, 61-70
Southampton Row
Bloomsbury London
United Kingdom WC 1B 4AR.
WINNER No. 6
Batch: 174RT/MSN/UK
Ref: MS/345061023
14th February, 2011

Dear Winner,

We the MSN MICROSOFT MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE are pleased to inform you today being the 10th of February 2011 of winners of our annual MSN/MICROSOFT PROMOTION AWARD PROGRAM conducted in UNITED KINGDOM on the 7th of February, 2011

Your E-mail address is attached to WINNER NO 6, with serial number: 8641437112 and drew the lucky numbers:4-6-10-11-33-38-49-59..., Batch No: 174RT/MSN/UK which consequently won in the 3rd lottery category. You have therefore been approved for lump sums pay of $500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars) in cash, Credited to file REF NO: MS/345061023.

This is from the total prize money of £40,000,000.00 Forty Million Pounds which is to be shared among the One Hundred and Twenty international winners in category C (Third).

All participants in this program were selected randomly through our MSN/MICROSOFT Computer Ballot System, drawn from 85.000.000 internet users from all search engines. Your e-mail address was picked by the automated MSN/MICROSOFT Computer Ballot System, which has been programmed for this random selection.

This has eventually qualified you for the Winning. This promotional program takes place annually, and is promoted and sponsored by MSN/MICROSOFT Companies, with the support of British/European corporate companies and organizations to encourage the use of Internet and computers worldwide. In view of this, your prize $500,000.00 Dollars would be released to you by Our Prize Payment Officer (Mr.Rowland Smith ). He will immediately commence the process, to facilitate the release of your lucky won prize as soon as you contact him for the claim of your lucky prize.

You are to keep your ref. numbers and batch numbers from the public, until you have received your cash prize. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and the act of scamming /hacking people of their ref number and prizes.

You are advised to contact our Prize Processing Officer by means of email to confirm your winning.

When you contact (Mr.Rowland Smith ) for your payment furnish him with the following details for the issue of your WINNING CERTIFICATE/PAYMENT

(1) Full Name
(2) Present Country
(3) Date of Birth (DATE: MONTHS: YEAR:)
(4) Occupation
(5) Sex/Marital status
(6) Home/Mobile Phone
(7) Reference and Batch Numbers
(8) Amount Won
(9) Nationality

Note that all prize money must be claimed not later than one month of notification. All funds not claimed on or before the fixed date will be returned as Unclaimed Prize please be aware that our Paying Authority will Effect Payment Swiftly upon satisfactory Report, Verifications and validation provided by our prize processing officer.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference number, batch number and the amount won in all correspondences with our payment officer.

Congratulations, once more from the entire Management and Staff of MSN/MICROSOFT COMPANY to all our lucky winners of this year.

Attached is the processing form.

Rowland Smith
Office of the Prize Payment Authority
Prize Processing Manager
MSN-Award Lottery Promotion.
Email: { smithrowland353@hotmail.com}

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam