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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• 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.
  • microsoftwindows_managerdept@yahoo.co.uk
  • microsoftwindowsmsn_lotterydept@yahoo.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT BOARD" <gainersonly_23@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:05:56 +1200
Subject: YOU HAVE WON THE YAHOO/MSN INC AND THE MICROSOFT WINDOWS LOTTERY OF £500,000

 

 

                Yahoo/MsnLottery

       Incoperation 

               Baley House, Har Road

                Sutton, Greater London

 SM1 4te

         United  Kingdom 

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of(£500,000) FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND GREAT BRITAIN POUNDS STERLINGS for the month of NOVEMBER 2006 Lottery  promotion which is organized by YAHOO/MSN LOTTERY INC & WINDOWS LIVE.

    YAHOO&MSN MICROSOFT WINDOWS, collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo and Hotmail we only select five people every Month as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying,we congratulate you for being one of the people selected.

              PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
 

      You are to contact your Claims Agent on or before your date of Claim, Winners Shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Centre.
Yahoo/Msn Lottery Prize must be claimed no later than 15 days from date of Draw Notification after the Draw date in which Prize has won.Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.

 

These are your identification numbers:

                                  

Batch number.....................YM 09102XN
Reff number.......................YM35447XN
Winning number...................YM09788

 

  

     These numbers fall within your Location file,you are requested to contact EVENTS AGENT MANAGER,send your winning identification numbers to them at this contact  address below.

 

(CONTACT EVENTS AGENT MANAGER)

       Mr.Garry Davis  

   Email:microsoftwindows_managerdept@yahoo.co.uk
              Or
        :microsoftwindowsmsn_lotterydept@yahoo.co.uk 

 

    You are therefore advised to send the following information to the EVENTS AGENT to facilitate them and process the COURIER of your money.

 

NAME:.....................................
AGE:........................................
SEX:........................................
ADDRESS:...............................
EMAIL:....................................
PHONE:...................................
OCCUPATION:.........................
COMPANY:..............................

NEXT OF KIN...........................

STATE......................................
COUNTRY:................................

NATIONALITY............................  

 

Congratulations!! once again.
Yours in service,

                   

                                       

                                                                                      
MRS CHRISTINA JAMES                                                     Dr. Samual Bent

(Public Relations Officer.BRITISH EMBASSY)                    (Lottery Co-ordinator)

 

 

 

 

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam