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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million british pounds" (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)
  • "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)
• 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.
  • +447011132640 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: mark stevenson <claimsagentmarkstevenson@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:48:06 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Hello


HELLO CHANDRIKA,
I MUST SAY HELLO TO YOU AND I WISH TO SAY THANKS FOR YOUR TIME WRITTING ME BACK. GET IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE HOAX MAIL YOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVING. WE DO THINGS CLEAN AND MAKE IT KNOWN TO YOU THAT MICROSOFT IS A REPUTABLE COOPERATION. DO WELL TO FILL THE FORM THAT WAS SENT TO YOU IN MY LAST MAIL. I MUST SAY SORRY FOR THE INCONVINIENCE IN TRYING TO CALL. I HOPE YOU WILL GET THROUGH TO ME WITH THESE NUMBERS.

MARK STEVENSON
+447011132640
+447045706965

Chandrika Ashavarian <chandrikaashavarian93@foreign-workers.co.uk> wrote:

Greetings to you,

Pardon me if I sound a bit puzzled but may you be so kind as to prove your authority for this beforehand?

A while ago I had transferred some cash to someone who assured me of an offer nearly the same as yours. She has still not replied my last 15 letters and this makes me a little distrustful about you.

I have had a lot of problems recently so please just inform me in simple English.

Ms Ashavarian


By the way I tried to call the phone number you gave but it was unobtainable. Sorry.




--- Original email ---
DEAR CHANDRIKA
GOOD DAY TO YOU AND I MUST SAY YOUR ENGLISH IS PERFECT. I AM SIR MARK STEVENSON. I WORK AS A FIDUCIARY AGENT TO MICROSOFT COPORATION. RECENTLY THE BIGGEST INTERNET PROVIDER MICROSOFT SET TO PUT A SMILE OF INTERNET SURFFERS FACE BY ROLLING OUT 100 000.000.00 BRITISH POUNDS ON WHAT WAS NAMED MICROSOFT PROMO AWARD. IN THIS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WON YOU THE SUM OF A 1 MILLION BRITISH POUNDS. THIS WAS DONE BUT THE MODERN COMPUTERISED RANDOM SELECTION. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A HOAX MAIL AS YOU MAY HAVE THINK.
A FORM IS BEEN SENT TO YOU. PLEASE DO FILL IT CORRECTLY AND FORWARD IT BACK TO ME. IF UYPU HAVE ANY COMPLAINT I WILL GLADLY BE OF SERVICE TO YOU.
GOOD DAY
SIR MARK STEVENSON
......................................................................................................................................





MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM
Microsoft Corporation

Redmond WA 98052.

Ref: BTD/610/07
Batch: 742701AE

chandrikaashavarian93@foreign-workers.co.uk











ATTN: chandrika

This is in receipt of your mail. Yes you have won Your email was luckily drawn by a computer balloting system as one of our winners in our experimental lottery bonanza from the prestigous MICROSOFT ONLINE PROMOTION.Thus making you the winner of the sum of 1 000 000.00GBP One Million Great British Pounds Sterlings .

This correspondence officially confirms that we are in receipt of instructions relating to the payment of your lottery winnings of 1 000 000.00GBP One Million Great British Pounds Sterlings

Please complete the form below with correct information and email back to us with a return email so that we can have a precise and comprehensive record of our winners.

Your prize cheque has been vaulted safely with our corresponding Bank prior to your readiness to complete your claims and would be presented to you after verification of the data requested below..

To proceed with your claims you would be required to fill the Verification Form below completely and return back to us immediately.

THIS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE BENEFICIARY OF THE STATED FUND FOR VERIFICATION BEFORE TRANSFER.

BENEFICIARY FIRST NAME......................


BENEFICIARY LAST NAME......................
NATIONALITY...................................

RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.........................


DATE OF BIRTH................................

SEX...............................................
TEL. NUMBER....................................


FAX NUMBER.....................................

EMAIL ADDRESS.................................


AMOUNT WON...................................

BATCH NUMBER..................................


REFERENCE N?..................................

OCCUPATION.....................................


MARITAL STATUS...............................

DECLARATION:

I..........................................................HEREBY
DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE DATA ARE TRUE. THAT MY CLAIMS AGENT SHALL ACT AS A FACILITATOR IN THE TRANSFER OF THE TOTAL FUND TO ME.

DATE...........................................
YOUR FULLNAMES ...........................

Congratulations once again from the entire staff of the Microsoft Award Team.

Sir. Stevenson Mark.
MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM.
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 701 113 2640

Past winners.








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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam