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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: "MR MARTINS BOUROUGH" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <martinsbourough@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:52:56 -1200
Subject: Award No.: UK/9876125

Microsoft Promotion Award Team
40 Ryecroft Way Stopsley
London,
UK.
 
Dear Winner,
 
Clearly this notice 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 the results of the electronic online E-mail sweepstakes organized by Microsoft, in conjunction with the foundation for the promotion of software products, (FPS) held This Month in 2010, in London UK.
 
We wish to officially inform you that you have successfully passed the requirements, statutory obligations, verification, validations and satisfactory report for all tests carried out on the road victory.
 
A win would check is issued in your name by the Microsoft Corporation, so that you can win the entire sum 1,000,000.00 {One million Great British Pounds and also a certificate of prize claims will be sent along side your winnings after receiving your next email to predict.
 
It is important to note that your award information was released with the following particulars attached to it:
1. Award No.: UK/9876125
2. Email ticket numbers: EAASL - 130,877
3. Batch number: 013/05/8394369
4. The file reference number: HL/5574/41/07/MICS
5. Serial number: MCST/006/NL46560
 
For verification purposes, you should contact the manager transferred abroad via email immediately (martinsbourough@yahoo.com) with your contact details as stated below:
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM. COMPLETE AND RETURN IMMEDIATELY.
(1) Your contact address.
(2) Your phone / fax numbers.
(3) Your Nationality / Country.
(4) your full name.
(5) Occupation / Age.
(6) of your sex.
(7) Your Marital status.
 
Mode Of Price Remittance:
1. Courier Delivery Of Certified Cheque Winning Your Name and other Winning documents safely for you.
2.Bank Bank to transfer.
 
CONTACT:
************************************************** *****************
MANAGER foreign assignment,
Sir Bourough Martins.
E-mail: martinsbourough@yahoo.com
no phone: 44-701-114-1285
************************************************** ******************
The Microsoft internet E-mail draw is held periodically and is organized to encourage Internet use worldwide and promote computer literacy.
The Microsoft Windows lottery has discovered a large number of double claims due to winners announced close friends relatives and third parties about winning and also sharing their pin numbers of them. As a result of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the winners actually.
 
Microsoft lottery has reached a decision from headquarters that detect any double claim by the Lottery Board will result in cancellation of that particular winning, making a loss for claimer and sometimes even real winner, because it is taken that the real winner was the informer to the double claimer about the lottery this. So you are heading up again to keep it a secret until your winnings when you claim your
awards.
 
Again on behalf of all our staff, congratulations !!!!!
Area coordinator
Vicki ABRAHAM MRS

Anti-fraud resources: