419 scam: Face Book Award <facebookaward16@facebookoffice.onmicrosoft.com> CONGRATULATIONS FROM FACEBOOK!

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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:
- "hundred thousand united state dollars" (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)
- ",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)
- "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)
- "united state dollar" (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 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.
- facebookawardsdept@usa.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Face Book Award <facebookaward16@facebookoffice.onmicrosoft.com>
Reply-To: <facebookawardsdept@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2016 02:17:18 -0800
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS FROM FACEBOOK!

CONGRATULATIONS FROM FACEBOOK!

Facebook the largest Social Networking site valued more than $100 Billion Dollars and also expecting its One Billion Users to come mainly from mobile devices than desktop users by 2015, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has decided to boost users and companies a WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY by Lottery Program and Initial Public Offer said in a press release.

So we are pleased to inform you of the result of the NEW YEAR DRAW held on (5th January 2015) by Facebook Company in cash promotion to encourage the usage of Facebook users world wide, your name and email was among the 50 Lucky winners who won $1,500,000.00 USD (One Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars) each on the Face book promotion award attached to ticket number (5647600545189), Ref No (2551256002/244) and Serial Number (55643451907).

The online draw was conducted by a random selection of email and you where picked by an advanced automated random computer search from the Facebook.

In order to claim your $1,500,000.00 USD, you are required to provide the below information:

1. Name In Full :
2. Residential Address :
3. Nationality :
4. Age :
5. Sex
6. Occupation :
7. Mobile Phone :
8. Present Country :
9. Email address :
10.Ref No.:

The lottery program is a new innovation by Facebook, is aimed at saying A BIG THANKS to you all our users for making Facebook your number one social networking to hook up with families and friends all over the World.

The Facebook Promotion Award Team has discovered a huge number of double claims due to winners informing close friends, relatives and third parties about their winnings and also sharing their ticket numbers. As a result of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. The facebook promotion award committee has reached a decision from the headquarters that any double claim discovered by the Board will result to the disqualification of the winners lottery. So you are hereby strongly advised to keep your winnings strictly confidential until you claim your prize. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants and scam artists. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system with their email addresses and names from all over the world.

Thanks to the FBI and the software company corporation for blocking few individuals web site and email addresses.

Your name and email was selected in a raffle draw that was made 5th of January 2016 so we need your fast response so that we can proceed with the delivery of your fund.

You are required to contact our dispatch dept via email (facebookawardsdept@usa.com, Contact Name:Gilbert Doucet) in order for us to complete your Winning Certificate and for further information regarding the disbursement of your lottery win.

To avoid unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your ticket, reference and serial numbers in all correspondences.

Furthermore, if there is any change in email address please contact us on time.

If you are not interested please do not bother to reply and CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN FROM FACEBOOK!

Thanks,
Erskine Bowles.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam