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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• 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:

• 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")
  • ",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.
  • +447031893282 (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.
  • james_5baloyi@hotmail.co.uk

Fraud email example:

From: uk draw <omegalot076@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:20:11 +0100
Subject: Congratulations!







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-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.

You have therefore been approved for a total sums of £800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand United Kingdom Pounds)
Credited to FILE No: B665 75608567. With
REF.:PEC/9030108308/07. This is from total prize money of £60,000,000, shared among the Seventy-five (75) lucky Worldwide winners in first 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.

CONTACT CLAIM OFFICE
Mr. James Baloyi. PROMOTION MANAGER.

157-197 Buckingham palace roadsLondon sw1w 9sp
Tell: +44 703 189 3282
E-mail: james_5baloyi@hotmail.co.uk
Alt: james_6baloyi@hotmail.co.ukRemember, 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 Total amount won: £800,000 ONLY

11, Mode Of Payment

i Bank Transfer {T/T}




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
_________________________________________________________________
The next generation of MSN Hotmail has arrived - Windows Live Hotmail
http://www.newhotmail.co.uk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam