419 scam: "UK AWARD"<announcer_department@hotmail.com> CONGRATULATION!! YOU HAVE WON GBP£500,000.00

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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:
- "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "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)
- "u.k " (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 mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- 00447024021783
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.douglas_michael004@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK AWARD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mr.douglas_michael004@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:58:32 -0700
Subject: CONGRATULATION!! YOU HAVE WON GBP£500,000.00

(YAHOO AWARDS CENTER)

BRITISH MICROSOFT E-MAIL SELECT AWARD FROM HEAD OFFICES LONDON ON 02TH FEB 2011.

British Microsoft Award
Headquarters: Customer service
68 Newman Street. City,
London. Country,
United Kingdom. Postal/Zip Code,
W1T 3EF

Attn: WINNER,

Your email addresses have just won a YAHOO & WINDOWS LIVE prize money of
(FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND BRITISH POUNDS STERLING) (GBP£500,000.00) on 02TH, FEB 2011 Award winners emerge through random selection of all active email subscribers online.Six are selected monthly to benefit from this promotion.

Payment of Prize And Claim;
Winners are to be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Center.
This Prize Award must be claimed in not later than one month from date of draw notification
after which unclaimed prizes are canceled.

WINNER NO: 4
these are your identification numbers:
Batch Number: YPB/08/APA-43658
Reference Number: YPN560992008
Award File Security code: UK/+ QU34005

These numbers fall within the United Kingdom file. Thus, you are requested to contact
our fiduciary agent in United Kingdom and send your winning identification numbers to him:

CONTACT INFORMATION OF OUR AGENT IN UNITED KINGDOM:
NAME MR. DOUGLAS MICHAEL
Mobile Phone: 00447024021783
E-mail: mr.douglas_michael004@hotmail.com

Kindly send the following information to your claim agent to facilitate the release of your fund.

1. Full name...................................................................................
2. Country......................................................................................
3. Telephone Number……………………………………………………………..
4. Fax Number...............................................................................
5.Sex............................................................................................
6. Date of birth.............................................................................
7. Marital Status............................................................................
8. E-Mail Address: …………………………………………………………………
9. Occupation................................................................................
10. Contact Address.......................................................................
11. Copy of your International passport or Drivers license.......……

Once your agent acknowledges receipt of this required detail, transfer would commence.

Congratulations!! Once Again. Yours in service,

[Prof John Martins] [Mrs. Mary E. Chris]
[British Microsoft Award Manager] [British Microsoft Award Secretary]

Note: You are hereby advised not to disclose the content of this Prize Award until your money have been remitted to you to avoid disqualification that will arise from dual claim.

[Signed By: Dr. A. W. George]
Lottery Board Director
Head Office U.K

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam