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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:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
• 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!

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:38:46 -1200
Subject: Microsoft=?ISO-8859-1?B?rg==?= Award Team/Claims Office

Microsoft® Award Team/Claims Office
Microsoft Corporation
#1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052.
**********************

Dear lucky winner,

This is to inform you that your email has won a consulation prize of
the Microsoft Corporation EMAIL DRAW Today. Your
email has won you £1,000.000.00 (One Million Great british Pounds)
To claim your prize, please contact your fiduciary agent
Mrs. Audrey Peterson with your Batch #:409978E and Reference No:FL/668530092 and contact
her via email immediately within 24hrs.

with the information below.
Mrs. Audrey Peterson Microsoft Promotion Award Team
Head Winning Claims Dept.
Email:mrs_audrey@yahoo.cn
===========================================================
CERTIFICATE OF PRIZE CLAIM(Receipt Official Notification Letter)
===========================================================
1.Full Name:..............
2.Marital Status:..................
3.Occupation :..............`
4.Age:..............
5.Sex:.................
6.Nationality:...........
7.Tel:..............

Our special thanks and gratitude to Bill Gates and his associates.We
wish you the best of luck.Thank you for being part of our promotional
award program and commemorative Anniversary Draws.

Sincerely,
Mrs Audrey Peterson
Head Customercare Service
Microsoft Promotion

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam