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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from: the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "claim agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "million united states dollars" (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)
  • ",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)
• 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.
  • +27838861921 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • josephmalapo@myway.com

Fraud email example:

From: LOTTERY PROMOTION <yliprom07@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:38:54 +0200
Subject: YOU HAVE WON ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS





MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY AROUND THE WORLD

FROM: THE DESK OF THE MICROSOFT™ PROMOTIONS MANAGER
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT,
61-70 SOUTHAMPTON ROW, BLOOMSBURY LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM WC1B 4AR.

REF.:PEC/9030108308/07. Batch: 15/76/EF36.
Serial No: SALP97585. FILE No: B665 75608567.
Security code: ZA/183/RR

ELECTRONIC EMAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER :
UNITED KINGDOM

ATTN: WINNER,

Microsoft™ Corporation management worldwide is pleased to inform you that you are a winner of our annual MICROSOFT™ USER AWARD-Email-Lottery conducted in United Kingdom.

Your personal e-mail address or company email was attached to Serial No: SALP97585. Consequently winning in the first lottery category as winner number 7.
Further more your details(e-mail address) falls within our African representative office in Johannesburg, South Africa, as indicated in your play coupon and your prize $1,000,000,00 will be released to you through our corresponding agent.

You have therefore been approved for a total sums of USD$1,000,000,00. (One Million United States Dollars Only)
Credited to FILE No: B665 75608567. With REF.:PEC/9030108308/07.
This is from total prize money of $60,000,000, shared among the Sixty (60) lucky Worldwide winners in this category.
All participants were selected through our Microsoft computer ballot system,drawn from Canada, Asia, Australia, United States, Europe, Middle East,Africa and Oceania .As part of international "MICROSOFT™ USER"
promotions program, this is conducted annually.

CALL OR CONTACT CLAIM OFFICE THROUGH EMAIL
Mr. Joseph Malapo
RSA-CLAIM MANAGER.

Tel: +27-838-861-921
Emails:
josephmalapo@myway.com
claim-department01@hotmail.comRemember, all prize money must be claimed within 30 days of this notification. All funds not claimed on or before the fixed date will be returned as unclaimed and donated to charity organizations. Congratulations, once more from the entire management and staff of Microsoft™ corporation to all our lucky winners this year. Thank you for being part of this promotional lottery program.

Sincerely,

MRS. BROWN CATHY

(SECRETARY)


AWARD SPONSORS

MICROSOFT™ CORPORATION.


Please call your claim agent if your mail was not responded to within 24 hours:

PLEASE SEND A COPY OF YOUR CONTACT INFORMATIONS TO BOTH EMAILS PROVIDED ABOVE.




1, Full Names:

2, Date of birth:

3, Present Contact Address:

4, Country Of Residence:

5, Tel/Fax:

6, Your Winning Serial and Ref. No.:

7, Winning Email Address:

8, Occupation

9, Sex:

10, Nationality:

11 Total amount won:

What would you like to do with the winning fund?




For Security reasons, you are advised to keep your winning information CONFIDENTIAL

Microsoft™ takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the information in this email is accurate.
However, the company gives no warranty, whether express or implied, regarding the content of this email, nor do we accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from your receipt of this message. Any decision made by an individual based on information in this email is the responsibility of that individual alone. You have to note that the only person that have the right to represent you in your claim is your appointed Agent only.

Copyright © 1998-2007 The MICROSOFT™ Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Service - Guideline

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam