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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft mega jackpot lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (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 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.
  • +447045701222 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
• 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.
  • globalcourierexpuk_peacedelivery@yahoo.com

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Martin G. Henderson Jr" <agent_martin_g_henderson@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:10:11 +0100 (BST)
Subject: MS-WORD COURIER CONTACT DETAILS


MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY
UNITED KINGDOM. LONDON.
BANK OF ENGLAND/MICROSOFT HOUSE, LONDON.
Director: MR. DOUGLAS WILSON
Phone: +447045701222
Phone: +447045704023

Dear Cash Winner,

I received your email and we have forwarded your winning check of 2.5 million pounds to the courier firm that will handle the delivery. It will be delivered to you on the appropriate date chosen by you (status of delivery) after you have taken care of the required cost. This is due to the insurance and other measure taken to secure your prize. Do make sure you call the courier firm to confirm the receipt of your prize delivery.

You will be given three different delivery statuses to choose one, you have the right to choose one delivery status, and this is mostly done to meet what your pocket can pay for. This courier firm has been our lottery sponsor since the origin of this lottery so we make it a possibility that your prize money will be couriered to you through this courier firm. They are reliable and fast in delivery of parcel. Be careful of scam artist they are everywhere you should make sure you keep your winning numbers and this whole winnings as a secrete because the prize money is no longer with us it has been forwarded to the courier firm. Some people might just go to the courier firm with all your details claiming they are the actual winner to claim your prize. So be careful of everybody around you. We have seen many situations of double claim and most times it is either one of their family member or a friends. They most times tell you to forget about it. So be careful, I wish you the
best in life with your prize (money).

You are to contact the courier firm at once with your full name, address and a valid phone number and all the requirements to sending your check to you. You should also send to the courier firm all your winning details like, Reference number, amount won, and the name of lottery won.

Below are their contact details:

GLOBAL COURIER EXPRESS
DIRECTOR: DAVID BROWN
PHONE +447045704331
PHONE +447011149418
PHONE +447011129611
Fax num: +447005968253
Email: globalcourierexpuk_peacedelivery@yahoo.com

The courier firm will communicate details of the required cost to you once you contact them, do contact them via the two-email address above. You are to keep me fully informed on all developments. Once again on behalf of the Microsoft Award winning promotion and claims department I will say congratulations to you.

Sincerely,
Claims Officer,
Mr. Martin G Henderson Jr.





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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam