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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
  (+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 lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "overseas claims unit" (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.
  • +447045729287 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +448702361612 (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.
  • uk.promo1@yahoo.co.uk
  • uk.claims1100@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MICROSOFT UK ONLINE LOTTERY PROMO <muklp745@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:16:50 -1000
Subject: WINNING NOTIFICATION



MICROSOFT U-K ONLINE LOTTERY.



The Microsoft Lottery#7 Churchill Place,London E14 5HP. UK(Customer Services)

WINNING NOTIFICATION:
Ref.No: 219-347-748 Batch: 3566465021-OTA-7

Dear Lucky Winner,

Congratulations as we happily announce to you today of the draw Of the MICROSOFT UK ONLINE LOTTERY, online Sweepstakes International program held on the 20th of August 2007 in London. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: HD-276017-214 with Serial number 446-576 drew the lucky numbers:
17-28-87-65-69-77
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of Four Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand, Five Hundred Great Britain Pounds (GBP 484,500) shared amongst the first six lucky winners in this category.

All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 500,000 email addresses of unions, associations and corporate bodies that are listed online. This promotion takes place yearly. Please note that your lucky winning number falls within our UK booklet representative office in London as indicated in the play coupon. In view of this, Your Four Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand, Five Hundred Great Britain Pounds (GBP 484,500) would be released to you by any of our payment offices here in London. Our London agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him. For security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until your claim is processed and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your prize.

This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program.
Please be warned. To file for your claim, please contact our claims agent with the verification form below: Overseas Claims Unit London Fiduciary Agent for MICROSOFT UK PROMOTIONS.Name: MR. DANNY CARBONELL.
Fax: +44- 8702361612 Tel: +44-70457 29287, +44-70457 34503
Email: uk.promo1@yahoo.co.uk OR uk.claims1100@yahoo.co.uk

KINDLY FILL THE CLAIMS VERIFICATION/PROCESSING FORM BELOW AND SEND IT TO HIM:
=====================================================
FULL NAMES OF BENEFICIARY:.....................................
CONTACT ADDRESS:.....................................................
CITY/STATE:..................................................................
COUNTRY:.....................................................................
NATIONALITY:...............................................................
SEX:.......................AGE:...............................................
MARITAL STATUS: .......................................................
TEL NO: ............................FAX:...................................
E_MAIL ADDRESS:........................................................
NEXT OF KIN: .............................................................
MONTHLY INCOME: .....................................................
OCCUPATION: .............................................................
AMOUNT WON:.............................................................
REFENCE NO:................ BATCH NO: ..........................
LUCKY NO:.................. TICKET NO :............................
SERIAL NO:................... LOTTERY DATE: ..................
=======================================================
Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact him on the email and telephone/fax numbers stated above. You may wish to establish contact with him via e-mail with the particulars presented above citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter including your serial, ticket and lucky numbers. All Our winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press anonymity until the end of the proceedings, and beyond where they so desire. Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent claims. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL, BUT CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT DIRECTLY BY

E-Mail: uk.promo1@yahoo.co.uk OR uk.claims1100@yahoo.co.uk

Goodluck from me and members of staff of the MICROSOFT U-K LOTTERY INC.



















Yours Faithfully,

Mrs. Mercy WalkingsOnline coordinator for MICROSOFT UK ON-LINE PROMOTIONS. Sweepstakes International Program. Copyright © 1994-2007 The Micro Soft UK Online Lottery Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guidelines
_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam