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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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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.

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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.
• The following fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft lottery"
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "please endeavor to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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.
  • libertysegurosld@netscape.net (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Microsoft Lottery International" <microluckywinner@atmail.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 17:03:34 +0200
Subject: Claim Your Microsoft Winnings


FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT
MICROSOFT LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
PROMOTIONS PRIZE AWARD
REF Nº: MIC25993189SP06
BATCH Nº:1007581900

ATTN WINNER,
We wish to congratulate you over your success in our MICROSOFT LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL WORLD GAMING BOARD computer balloting Sweep stake held on the 24Th JUNE 2006. This is a Millennium scientific computer games lottery in which email addresses were used. It is a promotional program aimed at encouraging Internet users; therefore you do not need to buy ticket to enter for this draws.
Your email address name attached to a ticket number 042091890 with serial number 6132306 drew the lucky numbers 01148814577 which consequently won the lottery in the 1st category. You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of
THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND EUROS ONLY (350,000.00 Euros) this is from total prize money of 1,000,000.00 Euros distributed to winners from 1st to 3rd and consolation awards categories.
CONGRATULATIONS:
Your fund is now deposited with our correspondence Bank. Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims has been processed and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from Microsoft users from over 20,000 company, and 3,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. this promotional program takes place every three years.
To begin your claim please contact your claim agent Mr. William Benito. For processing and remittance of your prize fund into your designated bank account.
LIBERTY SEGUROS COMPANY
MADRID SPAIN
Contact person: Mr. William Benito
(Legal Department Officer)
Email: libertysegurosld@netscape.net
Note: All prize funds must be claimed before the 31Th of JULY 2006 after this date all funds will be returned to the MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y HACIENDA as unclaimed. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please endeavor to quote your reference and batch numbers in every correspondence with us to your claim agent. Furthermore, should there be any change in your address do inform your claim agent as soon as possible. Congratulation once again from all members of our staff and thank you for being part of our promotion program.
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Cynthia Lopez
Vice President,
MICROSOFT LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
NOTE; ONLY REPLY TO YOUR CLAIMS COORDINATOR TO CLAIM YOUR CASH PRIZE.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam