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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
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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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
  • "australian lottery" (can only win this lottery if you bought a ticket)
  • "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "claims agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "overseas claims unit" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "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)
  • "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.
  • +447045772045 (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.
  • chrisbrown_2001@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY" <csmith7@mobimail.mn>
Reply-To: chrisbrown_2001@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:46:35 -0700
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS YOUR ADDRESS HAVE WON YOU 400,000.00USD(CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT).


*MICROSOFT AUSTRALIAN ONLINE LOTTERY. *



**
The Microsoft Lottery
P O Box 1010
Sydney, Australia
(Customer Services)
*
**YOUR WINNING NOTIFICATION:*
*Ref.Number: MICROAA4/734-0*
*Batch: 2**5060766143-BTA/06*
*Dear Lucky Winner**,*
*Congratulations as we happily announce to you today that the draw.*






*Of the MICROSOFT AUSTRALIAN ONLINE LOTTERY, online International Lottery
program held on the 10th of JULY.2008 in Australia. Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number: G276017-487 with Serial number 493-678 drew
the lucky
numbers:*
*[** **7-18-87-45-69-63** **]*.**
*The Bonus Ball [24], which subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd
category i.e, matches 3 plus bonus. You have therefore been approved to
claim a total sum of US$400,000.00 (four Hundred Thousand United
StatesDollars Only) credited to file nos KTU/
9023418808/04. *
*All participants for the online version were selected randomly from World
Wide Web sites through computer draw system and extracted from over 100,000
email addresses of unions, associations and corporate bodies that are listed
online. This promotion takes place yearly. Please note that your lucky winning
number falls within our U booklet representative office in west africa as
indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, Your US$400,000 (Four
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be released to you by our
payment offices here in west africa. Our west african agent Mr Christopher
Brown will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of
your funds as soon as you contact him. For security reasons, you are advised
to keep your winning information confidential until your claim is processed
and your money remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to claim your
prize.***
*
This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming and
unwarranted abuse of this program. *
*Please be warned. To claim your won prize money, please contact our claims
agent with the verification form below:***
*Overseas Claims Unit**
West African Fiduciary Agent for MICROSOFT AUSTRALIAN PROMOTIONS.
Name:CHRISTOPHER BROWN
TEL:+447045772045
*
***From Sydney Australia.****
* *Email:chrisbrown_2001@yahoo.com***
*
KINDLY FILL THE CLAIMS VERIFICATION/PROCESSING FORM BELOW SEND TO HIM:
FULL NAMES OF BENEFICIARY:......................…..
CONTACT ADDRESS:................................…………
CITY/STATE:.....................................………………....
COUNTRY:........................................…………………..
NATIONALITY:....................................……………......
SEX:.......................AGE:.................…………………....
MARITAL STATUS: .................................…………....
TEL NO: ............................FAX:.............……………....
OCCUPATION: ......................…………………………
AMOUNT WON:.....................................……………….
REFENCE NO:................ BATCH NO: ............…........

Our agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of
your funds as soon as you contact him on the email stated above. You may
wish to establish contact with him via e-mail with the particulars
presented above citing the batch and reference numbers to this letter. All Our
winners are assured of the utmost standards of confidentiality, and press
anonymity until the end of the proceedings, and beyond where they so desire.
Be further advised to maintain the strictest level of confidentiality until
the end of proceedings to circumvent problems associated with fraudulent
claims. This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid double claiming
and unwarranted abuse of this program. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL,
BUT CONTACT YOUR CLAIMS AGENT DIRECTLY BY Email:chrisbrown_2001@yahoo.com
*
*Good luck from me and members of staff of the MICROSOFT AUSTRALIAN LOTTERY
INC.*
* [image: Derbyshire Shop Syndicate]
Yours Faithfully,



*
** *[image: Diane Downing][image: Pete Kyle]*
** **
** *
Mrs CAROL SMITH
Online coordinator for MICROSOFT AUSTRALIAN ON-LINE PROMOTIONS.
International Program.
* *THE EUROPEAN ONLINE GLOBAL LOTTERY*
COPYRIGHT (c) 1994-2008 ALL RIGHT
** [image: Australian National Flags]

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam