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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
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (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)
  • "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "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. )
  • "cheques " (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.
  • +2348077064936 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "FIT5195 - FITZPATRICK, MISTI M" <FIT5195@cup.edu>
Date: Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:43:33 -0400
Subject: MSN WINNING NOTIFICATION



MICROSOFT LOTTERY BOARD
Ticket Free/Online Winnings and Notification Department
Ref Number: 1648MSN
Batch Number: B522XG



WINNING NOTIFICATION OF $800,000USD



We happily announce to you the result of the MICROSOFT LOTTERY
online draws and sweepstakes program held on the
5th of June, 2008. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:
569245398266LQ with Serial number: 546-532829 drew the lucky numbers:
1-3-4-17-22-23-24 which subsequently won you the lottery in the first
category.



You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of $800,000USD
(Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) and a Laptop credited to
file FST/26487710-95.



All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site
through computer online draw system and extracted from over 100,000
companies.



The below courier company has been given the contract to deliver all
our winners cheques from the first to last category.

FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER SERVICE,WEST AFRICA.

Contact Agent: Mr.Joe Biggs (Dispatch Director)
Email address: fedexexpress_customerservice@live.co.uk<mailto:fedexexpress_customerservice@live.co.uk>
Tel: +2348077064936



To avoid delay in the delivery of your winnings check to you, include
the below highlighted information in your contact mail to Mr. Joe Briggs.



-Your country
-Your Nationality
-Your complete official names
-Your age
-Your sex
-Your Occupation
-Your contact telephone, mobile and fax numbers
-Your address where your wish to receive your winnings cheque
-Your Ref Number and Batch Numbers
-Your winning email address



Do not be scared of anything happening to your winnings cheque with
the FEDEX EXPRESS COURIER SERVICE as all the cheques was
processed in a such a way that no sum can be deducted from it till it
gets to the beneficiary/winner's address and deposited in any bank of
choice in your country or any in any part of the world for onward payment by
the bank.For safety measures and to avoid fruadulent claims you are
adviced to keep all about your winnings information and notification
confidential and away from all third parties till your cheque arrives
your address and cashed.



Mr. F Patrick
Online Co-ordinator/Notification Officer UK-LOTTERY ORGANIZATION
Sweepstakes International Program.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam