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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "DR SCHMITT, KELLEE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <emailtojoe@blumail.org>
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2012 04:51:11 +0100
Subject: NOTIFICATION

Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Campus
Thames Valley Park
Reading, Berkshire
RG6 1WG, UNITED KINGDOM.
PHONE: +447031937626.
FAX   : +448435240897
 
Serial No.: MIC/566767373/12
Batch No.: WIN/MICROSOFT/120
Reference No.: SEPTEMBER/2012/CLAIMS
 
MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION
 
We wish to congratulate you once again on this note, for being part of our winners selected this year. This promotion was set-up to encourage the active email user, as Microsoft is ever present in all your online activities to make your surfing and emailing a much better friendly environment. Hence we do believe with your winning prize, you will become an even better user of the internet and the Microsoft windows. We will continue to improve on our services to make the internet usage a much safer and better place. In an effort to say thank you for using our windows for all these years, we ran an online e-mail beta test, Where your email address emerged as one of the online Winning emails in the 2nd category and therefore attracted a cash award of 1,000,000.00 {One Million Great British Pounds Sterling}.
 
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. (1) 1,350,000.00 pounds each
2nd. (2) 1,000,000.00 pounds each
3rd. (4) 700,000.00 pounds each
4th. (6) 450,000.00 pounds each
 
We wish to formally announce to you that your email address successfully passed the requirements, statutory obligations, verifications, validity and satisfactory test report conducted for all online winners before this notice is sent. A winning Cheque / Bank Draft will be issued in your name by Microsoft Corporation Award Team. A certificate will be issued alongside your winning Cheque / Bank Draft . You are advised to contact the Vice President-People Operations MR. WILLIAMS REEALE on phone on: +(44)703-193-7626 or via email at: reeale@mswindowsdeskcorp.com with the following details to avoid unnecessary delay and complications and Please follow the procedure outlined below to get your winnings processed:
 
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM
 
(1) Your contact address:
(2) Your Mobile/Fax numbers:
(3) Your Nationality/Country:
(4) Your Full Name:
(5) Occupation/Company:
(6) Age/Gender:
(7) Ever won an online lottery?
(8) Email:
(9) Send the following documents by fax or email (scans are accepted via email): A copy of an official government photo ID e.g.
     (a) International Passport (b) Drivers License (c) National I.D. Card
(10) Your Preferred Method of Receiving Your Prize (From Below):
(i)        Cash Pickup (Coming to London to pick up your award in cash.)
(ii)        Network Logistics (Courier Delivery of your Certified Cheque Bank Draft and other Winning Documents safely to you.)
 
Mr. Williams Reeale
Vice President-People Operations
Microsoft Corporation Award Team
Phone: + (44)703 193 7626
 
You are advised to keep this email notification private, as Microsoft Corporation will disqualify any winner with double claims. 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.
 
Congratulations from the Staffs & Members of the Google interactive Lotteries Board Commission.
 
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul Morgan
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Director, Member of Executive Committee and Member of Acquisition Committee Microsoft Corporation.

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