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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!
  
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• 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)
• 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.
  • +447031844124 (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.
  • davis_jamesclaimsagent@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "UK MICROSOFT COMPANY" <efcbryan@dca.net>
Reply-To: gary_williamsclaimsagent@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:55:52 -0400
Subject: Official Notification



--
UK MICROSOFT JACKPOT LOTTERY

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

Finally, today, we announce to you the results of the
MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY EMAIL DRAWS held on june
10th, 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 Europe Zone.

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 £850,000,000
British Pounds Sterling Credited to File 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.Davis James
Email: davis_jamesclaimsagent@yahoo.com.hk
Contact Phone Number:+44 703 184 4124

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

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


LOTTERY SPONSOR Microsoft
Corporation U.K.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam