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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:
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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 mega jackpot lottery" (no such lottery exists)
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • ",500,000" (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)
  • "u.k " (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.
  • +447031907559 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)
  • +447031919885 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:20:17 -0400
Subject: MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS

MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS
MANAGER,INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
AWARD DEPARTMENT MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT
LOTTERY, UNITED KINGDOM.
89 New Fetter Lane London, EC4A 1AG U.K

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

Finally today, we announce the winners of the MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS held on 10th, OCTOBER 2008. Your company or your personal e-mail address, attached to winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100, with serial number 647489, consequently won in the Tenth lottery category.

You are therefore been approved for lump sums pay out of GBP 5,500,000.00 POUNDS ($10,464,000 USD) in cash Credited to file REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100, this is from total prize money of GBP 27,500,000.00 POUNDS, shared among the Twenty five (25)international winners in this category.

Name: Mr. Ray Sambolin
E-mail: msw.raysambolin@live.com
Phone Number:+44 7031919885/+447031907559

Do email the above email addresses, all at once. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and winning numbers in all correspondences with your claims officer.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO SEND THE BELOW INFORMATIONS REQUIRED TO CLAIM YOUR WINNING PRIZE:

1. Full names:
2. Residential address:
3. Phone number:
4. Fax number:
5. Occupation:
6. Sex:
7. Age:
8. Nationality:
9. Present Country:
10. Mode of Identification:


Upon reciept of the duly requested data, I'll send you the contact information of the payment office so you can proceed with effecting the release of your claim in anyway you deem fit, submit back immediately

Sincerely,
Mr. Alponso G.Barnes

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam