419 scam: "MICROSOFT DIRECTORATE UNIT"<ew2284980@aol.com> MICROSOFT'S ONLINE AWARD

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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "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 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.
- +447031871872 (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.
- kelvincole1111111@yahoo.co.jp (Yahoo, Japan; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT DIRECTORATE UNIT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <kelvincole9999@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:41:54 -0700
Subject: MICROSOFT'S ONLINE AWARD

Microsoft UK Headquarters
Dr.Michele Morgan
Microsoft Campus
Thames Valley Park
Reading
RG6 1WG.

MICROSOFT'S ONLINE AWARD

It is obvious that this notification 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 results of the
E-mail electronic online Sweepstakes organized by Microsoft, in
conjunction with the foundation for the promotion of software
products, (F.P.S.) held this month of Oct' 2011, in London United
Kingdom. Where your email address emerged as one of the online Winning
emails in the 2nd category and therefore attracted a cash award of
950,000.00 {Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds
Sterling's}.

The selection process was carried out through random selection in our
Computerized Email Selection System (C.E.S.S.) from a database of over
a million email addresses from each continent of the world wide web
drawn from all the continents of the world.

They are arranged in this format below:
CATEGORY NO.OF WINNERS WINNING PRIZES
1st. (2) 1.000.000.00 pounds each
2nd. (6) 950,000.00 pounds each
3rd. (13) 750,000.00 pounds each
4th. (27) 550,000.00 pounds each

We write to officially notify you of this award and to advise you to
contact the processing office immediately upon receipt of this message
for more information concerning the verification, processing and
eventual payment of the above prize to you. It is important to note
that your award information was released with the following
particulars attached to it.

(1) Award numbers: MLAT#2011
(2) Email ticket numbers: 1587-5896-4598-87,
(3) Batch numbers: 950THL#2011
(4) The file reference numbers: MLY-Y/250-450890
(5) Serial Numbers: McST/776/ML10101

For verification purpose be sure to include:
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM-:

1. Full Names:
2. Sex:
3. Age:
4. Marital Status:
5. Nationality:
6. Residential Address: :
7. Occupation/Position Held:
8. Telephone Number:
9. Fax Number:
10. Have you ever won an Online Lottery ?

Mode of Prize Remittance.
*Courier Delivery Of your Certified Winning Cheque Name and other
Winning Documents safely to you.

To file for your claim, Please contact your Validating Officer for
VALIDATION of your winning within Twenty-nine working days of this
winning notification. Winnings that are not validated within
Twenty-nine working days of winning notification are termed void and
invalid. You are required to mention the above particulars of your
award in every correspondence to enable the Agent validate your winning.

***********************************************************
FOREIGN TRANSFER MANAGER
REV. KELVIN COLE
MICROSOFT SECURITY DEPARTMENT (UK).
M.S.PRO. ZONAL COORDINATOR
Email: kelvincole1111111@yahoo.co.jp
Tel: +44-703-187-1872
**********************************************************

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

Once again on behalf of all our staff,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Sincerely,

MICROSOFT DIRECTORATE UNIT
M.S.PRO. ZONAL COORDINATOR.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam