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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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (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)
  • "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)
• 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 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.
  • steve01@mail2finance.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • msw_megalotterys@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Lotto U.K" <finacemail@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: msw_megalotterys@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 11:04:57 +0100
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS DEAR WINNER


FROM:THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS
MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT MSW MEGA LOTTERY,
UNITED KINGDOM. 61-70 Southampton Row,
Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom, WC1B 4AR
REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937
BATCH: 2007MJL-01
ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION.AWARD PRESENTATION
CENTER: UNITED KINGDOM
We are pleased to inform you of the announcement today of winners of the MSW
MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS held on 15th April 2008.Your company or
your personal e-mail address, is attached to winning number
20-12DEC-2007-02MSW, With serial number S/N-00168 drew the lucky numbers
887-13-865-37-10-83, and consequently won in the first lottery category.
You have therefore been approved for lump sums pay out of GBP 1,800,000.00
POUNDS in cash Credited to file REF NO:MSW-L/200-26937 this is from total
prize money of GBP 9,000,000.00 POUNDS, shared among the Five (5)
international lucky winners in this category.

All participants E-mail addresses were selected through our Microsoft
computer ballot system drawn from 50,000 Individual
Names, 30,000 companies names from each continent, as part of International
"E-MAIL" Promotions Program, Which is conducted
annually for our prominent MS WORD. Your payment has been insured with your
REF NO:MSW-L/200-26937.
Your E-mailaddress should be used in all correspondence with your claims
officer, Please note that, you are to contact your claims officer via email
as we Are promoting the use of E-mail, any communications with this office
should be by mail, you have the right to call the Claim Payment Officer to
confirm your winning and payment,as we will provide you with the necessary
details on how to claim Your prize. You are to keep your ref.number and
batch number from the public, until you have been processed and your prize
money delivered or transfered to you.

To claim your winning prize, you must contact the claims Officer by email
for Processing and remittance of your prize money to you. The claims officer
contact email is: Name: Steve Richard. E-mail: msw_megalotterys@yahoo.co.ukOR
steve01@mail2finance.com
(PAYMENT CO-ORDINATOR)

Be informed that all prize money must be claimed not later than two weeks of
this Notification, All funds not Claimed on or before the fixed date will be
with-held accordingly. Do contact the Claim Officer immediately for further
guidelines.

NOTE: In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
remember to quote your reference and batch numbers in
all correspondences with your claims officer. Do contact the claims officer
Steve Richard.
at once via E-mail: msw_megalotterys@yahoo.co.uk OR
steve01@mail2finance.com
Josephine Peters{Mrs.}
For MSW MEGA LOTTO PROMO UK;
Any winner below the age of 18years is automatically disqualified.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam