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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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million 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)
  • "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 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.
  • +27737620702 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Lottery Microsoft" <microsoft_lottery10@yamal.biz>
Reply-To: benmoris1@gala.net
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:26:43 -0700
Subject: Microsoft Award With Reference Numbers: HL/8121/31/11/MICS


*FROM THE DESK OF THE MICROSOFT *
*{MICROSOFT GLOBAL E-MAIL LOTTERY}
INTERNATIONAL PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT
LONDON,NW10,ENGLAND,UNITED KINGDOM
FILE REF:HL/8121/31/11/MICS
BATCH: MC44/707/3PDH /EU*
**
* * * *
*OFFICIAL WINNING NOTIFICATION:*

*ATTENTION LUCKY WINNER:*
**
*It is obvious that this notification will come to you as a surprise but
please find time to read it **carefully as we congratulate you over your
success in the following official publication of results of the E-mail
electronic online Sweepstakes organized by Microsoft,in conjunction with the
foundation for the promotion of software products,(F.P.S.)held on the 7th of
* *July 2008,in United kingdom.*
**
*Wherein your electronic email address emerged as one of the online *
** *winning emails in the 1st category and therefore attracted a cash award
of Dollars$1, 000,000.00 (One Million United States Dollars only) which your
file falls in our South African Claim office in Johannesburg*
**
*We write to officially notify you of this award and to advise you to
contact the processing office immediately upon receipt of this message for
more information concerning the verification, processing and eventual
payment of the above prize to you.*
** **
** *It is important to note that your award information was released with
the following particulars attached to it.*
** *(1) Award numbers: NL 62/7811
(2) Email ticket numbers: NL901/33/65
(3) Batch numbers: MC44/707/3PDH /EU
(4) The file reference numbers: HL/8121/31/11/MICS*
** *{5} Serial Numbers:McST/030/NL0981*
** **
** *For verification purpose be sure to include:*
** *(1) Your mailing address.
(2) Your Tel/Fax numbers.*
** *(3) Your Nationality/Country.*
** *{4} Your Full Names.*
*(5)Your Occupation.*
*(6) Your Age.*
**
** *To file for your claim,Please contact your Validating Officer for
VALIDATION of your winning within Twenty-nine working days of this winning
notification. Winnings that are not validated within Twenty-nine
working days of winning notification are termed void and invalid. You are
required to mention the above particulars
of your award in every correspondence to enable the Agentin South Africa
validate your winning
*
** *CONTACT:
*********************************************************************
**FOREIGN TRANSFER MANAGER
NAME MR.Ben Morris*
*MICROSOFT SECURITY DEPARTMENT(RSA)
TEL:+27 737620702
**E-mail:**benmoris1@gala.net*
*********************************************************************
The Microsoft Internet E-mail lottery Awards is sponsored by our
CEO/Chairman, Bill Gates: and a consortium of software promotion companies.
The Intel Group, Toshiba, Dell Computers and other International Companies.
The Microsoft internet E-mail draw is held periodically and is organized to
encourage the use of the Internet and promote computer literacy worldwide.*
** **
** *Once again on behalf of all our staff,*
** **
*CONGRATULATIONS!*
*
Yours faithfully,

Dr.J.T Smith
MICROSOFT E-MAIL LOTTERY PROMOTION COORDINATOR.
*

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam