419 scam: "MARK FISH" <info@google.org> CONGRATULATION!!!

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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:
- "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
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!
Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.

Fraud email example:

From: "MARK FISH" <info@google.org>
Reply-To: google.info@solicittors.com
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2012 03:30:29 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: CONGRATULATION!!!

GOOGLE UK ANNIVERSARY PROMOTION 2012

Google Anniversary promotion,
94 Marylebone high Street,
London W1U,United Kingdom.
Dated:1st August 2012

congratulation!!

We are pleased to inform you that your email address has won you a cash
prize in the last batch of Google Anniversary
as organized by Google inc,held in London,united kingdom.The anniversary
center of Google inc randomly selected 10
email addresses through a computer ballot system to receive an award of
four Hundred and fifty Thousand Great Britain
Pounds (450.000.00)each as a part of their for-profit philanthropic wing
(GOOGLE.ORG)PROMOTION

This promotion was set-up to encourage the active users of the Google
search engine and the Google ancillary services.

Hence we do believe with your winning prize,you will continue to be active
and patronage to the Google search engine.
Google is now the biggest search engine worldwide and in an effort to make
sure that it remains the most widely used
search engine,we ran an on-line e-mail beta best which your email address
won 450,000,00 (Four Hundred and Fifty
Thousand Great Britain Pounds Sterling) Contact Barrister Elvis Smith
[Claim Officer]"Google.info@solicittors.com"for
further information and processing.

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER UK-92647194
UNIQUE NUMBER GOO47294

You are to provide the below personal information with your UNIQUE NUMBER
to enable us process your claim;

1. Full name:-
2. Address :-
3. Telephone Number:-

Thank you and accept my congratulation once again.

Mark Fish

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam