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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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• 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 phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "greater london" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "million british pounds" (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)
  • ",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)
  • "keep all winning information confidential" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
  • "you are advice to " (this email uses bad English)
• 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.
  • +447031954985 (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.
  • microsoftprom_fud.agentdesk@inmail24.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)
  • microsoftprom.clmsagent.desk@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Wells, Joyce P" <Joyce.Wells@fcps.edu>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2008 21:19:06 -0400
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?CONTACT_CLAIMS_AGENT_FOR_YOUR_WINNING_PRIZE_OF_=A31=2C?=
=?iso-8859-1?Q?000=2C000=2E00_=28ONE_MILLION_BRITISH_POUNDS_STERLIN?=
=?iso-8859-1?Q?G=29=2E=2E=2E?=





Microsoft Corporation Promo Department


Barley House Harold Road


Sutton, Greater London SM1 4TE


United Kingdom.


=======================================


REF Nº: MI-XUL/1673722/08


BATCH Nº: LD555734E





We, the Board and Management of Microsoft Corporation Promo Department wishes to notify you of our EMAIL DRAW held 25th of July, 2008 in which you emerged as one of the winners in the grand category "A". This result is today released to you as your e-mail address was attached to Promo number: 1717148842.


You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum of £1,000,000.00 (ONE MILLION BRITISH POUNDS STERLING) in cash credited to your file number MI-LUK/175463/07/08.


Please note that NO ENTRIES WERE MADE AND NO TICKETS WERE SOLD.


This promotion was designed to compensate all Microsoft users and prospective customers. The email cyber lotto draw was conducted from an exclusive list of 500,000,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies worldwide picked by an advanced automated random computer ballot machine search from our central database of Microsoft product users. You are therefore to receive a cash prize of £1,000,000.00 (ONE MILLION BRITISH POUNDS STERLING) from the total payout.





Your prize award has been insured with your e-mail address and will be transferred to you upon meeting our requirements, statutory obligations, verifications, validations and satisfactory report. To claims your prize, you are advised to contact our Certified and Accredited Fiduciary agent with your Promo number: 1717148842 and Batch number: LD555734E. You can contact him with the information provided below.


*************************************************


Name: Clarence Sorensen


TEL: + 44-7031954985


FAX: + 44-7006067769


EMAILS: microsoftprom_fud.agentdesk@inmail24.com


microsoftprom.clmsagent.desk@gmail.com


*************************************************


You are advice to provide him with the following information:


1. Full Name...............


2. Country..................


3. Current Contact Address.......


4. Telephone Number....


5. Fax Number.............


6. Occupation.............


7. Age......................


8. Sex......................


Remember to quote your reference information in all correspondence. You are to keep all winning information confidential, especially your promo and Batch numbers. (This is important as a case of double claims will not be entertained).


Congratulations from the entire Board of the Microsoft.


Yours in Service


Mrs. Silvia McCoy


Award Promotions Manager


===============================================================================


Please do not reply to this email. Reply only to your fiduciary agent for the claims of your prize.


CONFIDENTIAL NOTICE: This email message, including any attachments, is intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and prohibited from unauthorized disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam