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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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• 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:

• 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:
  • "international lottery programme" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "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.
  • +447045718165 (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.
  • barry_ferguson07@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MICROSOFT LOTTERY JULY 2007" <info_contact@core.com>
Reply-To: barry_ferguson07@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:20:37 -0400
Subject: MICROSOFT LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION


FROM THE DESK OF
THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS MANAGER INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD
DEPARTMENT, MICROSOFT WORD CORPORATION LOTTERY, USA

Ref: 475061725
Batch: 7056490902/188
Winning No: GB8701/LPRC

WINNING NOTIFICATION,

Congratulations,

We are delighted to inform you of your prize release on JULY 25 2007,
from the Microsoft International Lottery Programme; which is fully
based on an electronic selection of winners using their e-mail
addresses from different sites.Your email address was attached to
ticket number: 17212, Serial Number 7741137002.

You hereby have been approved a lump sum pay SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND
BRISTISH POUNDS STERLING in cash credit file Ref: ILP/HW 47509/02 from
the total cash prize shared amongst eight lucky winners in this
category.

All participants were selected through a computer balloting system
drawn from nine hundred thousand E-mail addresses from Canada,
Australia, United States, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and
Oceania as part of our international promotions program which is
conducted annually. This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by the
Microsoft Co-operation world wide as part of their social
responsibility for the eradication of poverty and to promote the use
of the internet globally.

Further more, your detail (e-mail address) falls within our England
Representative Office in London as indicated in your play coupon and
your prize of SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND BRISTISH POUNDS STERLING will be
released to you from our regional branch office in London. We hope
that with part of your prize, you will be able to participate in our
end of year high stakes for ONE MILLION BRISTISH POUNDS STERLING
International Draw.Your Winning Fund (International Certified Cheque)
has been insured with the Paying Bank with REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937 and
will be ready to be handed over or delivered to you when you are
through with the official process involved.

It will be delivered to you by our Claims Officer/Paymaster Staff in
charge of the London Zone (MR.BARRY FERGUSON). Your E-mail address
should be used in all correspondence with your Claims Officer. Please
note that you are to contact him via email and phone calls as we are
promoting the use of E-mail services. Also you have the right to call
him to confirm your winning Details.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE:
Simply contact our Claims Officer/Pay Master,
MR.BARRY FERGUSON.
E-mail: barry_ferguson07@yahoo.co.uk.
Phone No: +44704 571 8165 to file for your claim .

Please ensure that you quote your Reference, Batch and Winning Numbers
which can be found on the top left corner of this notification, as
well as your full name, address and telephone number to help locate
your file easily. For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep
this information confidential from the public until your claim is
processed and your prize released to you. This is part of our security
protocol to avoid double claiming.

Congratulations once more from the entire Management and Staff of
Microsoft Co-operation to all our lucky winners this year. Thank you
for being part of this promotional lottery program. Our special thanks
and gratitude to Bill Gates of Microsoft and all his Associates for
alleviating poverty round the World.

Regards,

Mrs.Jennifer Williams.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam