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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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• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:

• 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:
  • "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.
  • mikepeace101@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "mikepeace101@yahoo.com" <mikepeace101@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:34:36 +0200
Subject: YOU WIN THE LOTTO

MICROSOFT LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL
FROM: THE DESK OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS / PRIZE AWARD.
WINNING NOTIFICATION

REF Nº: MIC/26005006/SP/05
BATCH Nº:20044818-06

ATTN WINNER, please reply to mikepeace101@yahoo.com


We wish to congratulate you over your success in our MICROSOFT EMAIL LOTTERY
INTERNATIONAL/WORLD GAMING BOARD computer balloting Sweep stake held on the 26Th 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.


To begin your claim please contact your claim agent Mr.Benjamin Alfonso For processing and remittance
of your prize fund into your designated bank account.
COMPANY NAME: Mapfre Seguros S. A.
Contact person: Mr.Benjamin Alfonso.
Email: mikepeace101@yahoo.com

Yours Sincerely,
Benita Lopez Arroyo.
Vice President,
MICROSOFT LOTTERY INTERNATIONAL

please reply to mikepeace101@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam