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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:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

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:
  • "fudiciary" (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)
  • "barr." (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!
• 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.
  • +2348037592282 (Nigeria, 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.
  • cliams.fundoffice007@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: yahoolot yaho <yahaalotk2@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:30:24 +0100 (BST)
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOUR EMAIL ID HAS WON UK MICROSOFT LOTTERY


UK MICROSOFT JACKPOT LOTTERY

REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L
BATCH: 4583JL/WIN
Dearest Friend,

Finally, today, we announce to you the results of the MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY EMAIL DRAWS held on March,31th, 2008. Your
e-mail address, attached to winning number 11-48-26-34-44-34,
With serial number (647489), consequently won in the Tenth category.Since the draw was conducted through zonal batching of the
emails sampled,and the globe was divided into zones. You are hereby
notified that your winning falls under African Zone, and hence you are
to be paid by our African Payment Centre.

The Selection process was carried out through random sampling in our
computerized email selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database of over
1,000,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world.

You have been approved for lump sums pay out of £850,000,00 British
Pounds Sterling Credited to File REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning
number {11 48 26 34 44 34}

Your fund has been insured with your REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and
winning number(11 48 26 34 44 34).

To File for your winning prize, contact the Claims Payment Officer
below by email for remittance of your prize to you.

MICROSOFT CLAIMS DEPARTMENT
FUDICIARY AGENT.
Handling Officer: Mr.Frank William
Email: cliams.fundoffice007@yahoo.co.uk.
Contact Phone Number: +234-8037592282

NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO INCLUDE ALL THE DATA BELOW WHEN CONTACTING THE
PAYMENT AGENT:

1.Full Name:...............................
2.Address:................................
3.Nationality:............................
4.Sex:............
5.Age:........Date of Birth................
6.Occupation:..............................
7.Home Tel....... Mobile Tel:..........Fax:...
8.State of Origin:.........Country:........
9.Your File Ref No: ........................

Barr.Sanni Sannusi. Mrs. Maurrine
Online Co-ordinator Secretary

LOTTERY SPONSOR Microsoft
Corporation U.K.


---------------------------------
Sent from Yahoo! Mail.
A Smarter Email.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam