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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)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "00,000.00" (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)
  • "u.k " (this email uses bad English)
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
• 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.
  • +447045782728 (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.
  • dr.david_graham@hotmail.com
  • dr.davidgraham@hotmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?us-ascii?Q?AWARD=20DEPARTMENT=20MICROSOFT=20MEGA=20JACKPOT?= <Libuse.Nejedla@seznam.cz>
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:59:03 +0100 (CET)
Subject: =?us-ascii?Q?REF=20NO=3A=20MSW=2F56B=2D672GH=2FL?=

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT
LOTTERY, UNITED KINGDOM.
89 New Fetter Lane London, EC4A 1AG U.K
REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
BATCH: 4583JL/WIN

MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY PROMOTIONS, EMAIL AWARD PROMO: UNITED KINGDOM

Finally today, we announce the winners of the MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOTLOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS.

Your company or your personal e-mail address, attached to winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100, with serial number 647489, consequently won in the
Tenth lottery category. You are therefore been approved forlump sums pay
out of GBP5,500,000.00 POUNDS ($10,464,000 USD) in cash Credited to file REF
NO: MSW/56B672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100, this is from total prize money of GBP 27,500,000.00 POUNDS, shared among the Twenty five (25)international winners in this category.

All participants were selected through our Microsoft computer ballot system drawn form 42,000 Names, 6,000 names from each continent, as part of
International E-MAIL Promotions Program, for our prominent MSWORD user all
overthe world, and for the Continuous use of E-mail.Your fund (certified
Cashiers cheque has been insured with your REF NO:MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning
number 23-76-06-54-42-100. To claim your winning prize, you must first
contact the claims department by email for Processing and remittance of your prize money to you. The claims processor is:

Name: Dr. David Graham

E-mail: dr.david_graham@hotmail.com or dr.davidgraham@hotmail.com

Do email the above email a ddresses, all at once. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote yourreference and winning numbers in all correspondences with your claims officer.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO SEND THE BELOW INFORMATIONS REQUIRED TOCLAIM YOUR
WINNING PRIZE:


1. Full Name: .........................
2. Address: ..............................
3. Nationality: .....................................................
4. Age: ........................Date of Birth: ......
5. Occupation: ..................................................
6. Phone: ..........Fax: .................................
7. E-mail Adress .................................
8 State of Origin: ..Country: ................
9. DELIVERY OPTIONS

Upon reciept of the duly requested data, I will send you the contact information of the payment office so you can proceed with effecting the release of your claim in anyway you deem fit, submit back immediately

DELIVERY OPTIONS:

(1) ONLINE BANK PAYMENT
(2) COURIER FIRM

Sincerely,

Secretary
Mrs. Maurrine Diane H.

NOTE: Do not reply this mail. You are to contact your claims officer immediately by email.

Call #:+447045782728 to confirm your winnings.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam