419 scam: Google =?iso-8859-1?b?SW5jb3Jwb3JhdGlvbq4=?= <Award@Google.co.uk> GOOGLE 12TH PROMO WINNING NOTIFICATION

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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:

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:
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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.
- mr.ramseymccarthy@consultant.com (Outblaze.com, Hong Kong; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: Google =?iso-8859-1?b?SW5jb3Jwb3JhdGlvbq4=?= <Award@Google.co.uk>
Reply-To: mr.ramseymccarthy@london.com
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:55:20 -0300
Subject: GOOGLE 12TH PROMO WINNING NOTIFICATION

Google Incorporation's.
Google UK Ltd,
Belgrave House,
76 Buckingham Palace Road
London Sw1w 9TQ
United Kingdom.

Winning No: GUK/877/798/2011
Ticket No: GUK/699/33/2011
Google Verification Code: 947831
Notification Date: 15/03/2011.

GOOGLE 12TH PROMO WINNING NOTIFICATION.

We are happy to congratulate you , for being part of our winners selected th=
is year 2011. It was a promotion set-up to encourage our online users of =
Google search engine, and the Google ancillary services. Hence we do believe=
with your winning prize, you will continue to be active and patronilse Goo=
gle search engine. We (Google) are now the biggest search engine worldwide =
and to make sure that we remain the most widely used search engine, we ran =
an online e-mail beta test in which your email address has been selected as =
one of our winner of =A3450,000.00GBP {Four Hundred And Fifty Thousand Grea=
t British Pounds Sterling}.

We wish to formally announce to you that you have successfully passed the re=
quirements, statutory obligations, verifications, validations and satisfacto=
ry report Test conducted for all online winners. A winning cheque will be is=
sued in your name by Google Promotion Award Team, You have therefore won the=
entire sum of =A3450,000.00 {Four Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British =
Pounds Sterling} and also a certificate of prize claims will be sent along s=
ide your winning cheque.

You are advised to contact your Foreign Transfer Manager with the following =
details to avoid unnecessary delay and complications: By filling the the for=
m below.

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.
(1) Your contact address?????
(2) Your Tel/Fax numbers????..
(3) Your Nationality/Country???.
(4) Your Full Name/Sex?????..
(5) Occupation/Age???????..
(6) Alternate email if any?????.

Mr.Ramsey McCarthy
Foreign Transfer Manager
Google Security Department.
Email: mr.ramseymccarthy@consultant.com

The Google Promotion Award Team has discovered a huge number (No) of double =
claims due to winners informing Close friends relatives and third parties ab=
out their winning and also sharing their pin numbers. As a result of this, t=
hese friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. The Goo=
gle Promotion Award Team has reached a decision from headquarters that any d=
ouble claim discovered by the Lottery Board will result to the cancellation =
of that particular winner, making a loss for both the double claimer and th=
e real winner, it is as a result that the real winner was the one who infor=
med the imposter of the lottery. In order to avoid Disqualification you are=
hereby strongly advised one more time to keep your winnings strictly confi=
dential until you claim your CHEQUE.

Once again we say Congratulations from the Staff & Members of the Google Int=
eractive Lotteries Board Commission (GILBOC).

Your In Service,
Mr. Bob Steve.
Google Promotion Award Director.

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