419 scam: "GOOGLE AWARDS" <notice@google.com> N/A

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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:
- "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- ",500,000" (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)
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.
- +447035987134 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
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.
- carlton.fisher11@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "GOOGLE AWARDS" <notice@google.com>
Reply-To: carlton.fisher11@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 12 May 2011 15:58:47 +0800
Subject: N/A

Google 13th Anniversary Awards Centre,
Unit 1, Royds Park, Whitehall Road,
Leeds LS12 4TU, United Kingdom

Dear Award winner,
Award Reference code: GOOGLE568A2011
File number: JG250095

This is to inform you that you have won yourself an Award of One Million
Five Hundred Thousand Pounds (1,500,000GBP) in the Google 13 Years
Anniversary Awards as organized by the Anniversary Centre of Google Inc.,
held on April. 2nd 2011 in London, United Kingdom. The Anniversary Centre of
Google Inc as a part of their for-profit philanthropic wing selected your
email id as of one its 20 chosen fortunate winner to receive this award. And
awards most be claimed by the email owner only, not later than 30 days from
the day of notification.

VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.
1. YOUR FIRST NAME:
2. YOUR LAST NAME:
3. YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS:
4 YOUR NATIONALITY/COUNTRY:
5. YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER:
6. AGE AND SEX:
7. OCCUPATION:
8. AMOUNT WON:
9. AWARD REF. AND FILE NO:

CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT OFFICER IN EUROPE REGION
NAME: Mr. Carlton Fisher
EMAIL: carlton.fisher11@gmail.com
PHONE NUMBER: +44-703-5987-134

The Google Internet E-mail lottery Awards is sponsored by our CEO/Chairman,
Bill Gatesand a consortium of software promotion companies. The Intel Group,
Toshiba, Dell Computers and other International Companies. The Google
internet E-mail draw is held periodically and is organized to encourage the
use of the Internet and promote computer literacy worldwide. The Google
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.

As a result of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the
real winners. The Google lottery has reached a decision from headquarters
that any double claim discovered by the Lottery Board will result to the
Canceling of that particular winning, making a loss for both the double
claimer and the real winner, as it is taken that the real winner was the
informer to the double claimer about the lottery. So you are hereby strongly
advised once more to keep your winnings strictly confidential until you claim
your prize.Please do not reply if you are NOT the owner of this email address.

Once again on behalf of all our staff, CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Sincerely Yours,
Google Management.
GOOGLE SECURITY DEPARTMENT (EUROPE)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam