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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:
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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:
  • "microsoft mega jackpot lottery" (no such lottery exists)
  • "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
• 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!
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• 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.
  • +447011121410 (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.
  • br_teddywilliams60@excite.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: microsoftinc@mchsi.com
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:51:04 +0000
Subject: ATTN: WINNER (REF NO: M154S/WL06.).!!




MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT
MICROSOFT HOUSE PRESCOT, LONDON E1 8RP.
UNITED KINGDOM.
REF NO: M154S/WL06.

MICRO (LOTTERY) CHIP NO: 9465206
ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD PROMOTION.

Dear Mr/Mrs/Sir/Madam:

Today, we announce the 10 lucky winners of the MICROSOFT PROGRAM held on 27th,
August, 2007. Your company or your personal e-mail address, attached to the
Chip Number: 8977742, won in the First lottery category 004. Your email
address has brought you an unexpected luck, please read through this message.

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000 GBP (One
Million Great Britain Pounds) in cash credited to file
MSW/9080118308/02/LA.This is from a total cash prize of £10.000,000 GBP (Ten
Million Great Britain Pounds) shared amongst the ten (10) lucky winners.

All participants were selected randomly from 'World Wide Web' site through
Microsoft computer ballot system (MCBS) and extracted from over 100,000
individuals and companies. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your
winning information confidential till your claims is processed and money
remitted to you in the manner you deem fit to claim your prize. This is a part
of our precautionary measure to avoid unwarranted abuse of this program by some
unscrupulous elements.

Note that all claims process and clearance procedures must be duly completed
early to avoid impersonation arising to the issue of double claim, you are
advised to keep this notice to yourself because we shall not be responsible for
any divert of funds as a result of you disclosing your lottery award details,I
hereby advice you to report to the Microsoft lottery claims agent whose
information is stated below.

Contact Person: Barrister Teddy Williams
E-mail: br_teddywilliams60@excite.com
Tell.:+44-701-1121-410
Tell:+44-701-1129-206
Fax.:+448704783718

Do email or call the above mentioned person, at once with all the claims
requirements below. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications.

CLAIM PROCESSING FORM

1. full Name:
2. Address:
3. Nationality:
4. Date of Birth:
5. Occupation:
6. Phone:
7. Mobile:
8. Fax:
9. State of Origin:
10.Country:
11.Sex:
12.E-mail Address:

The above requirements are needed to enable the immediate release of your won
prize.

Best Regards,
Mrs. Belinda Scott
Secretary
Microsoft Mega Jackpot Lottery

Microsoft Mega Jackpot Lottery, property of the Microsoft Inc. Copyright®2007.
All Rights reserved.

--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam