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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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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!
• 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.
  • +27785665557 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
• 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.
  • vjvanjoseph2008@gmail.com

Fraud email example:

From: MICROSOFT AWARD <asdfghjtdr001@msn.com>
Reply-To: <henrysilvestone@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:43:15 +0000
Subject: MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD!!!



MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD!!!
Microsoft-AOL Lottery Award Promotions
20 Craven Park , Harlesden London
NW10 United Kingdom
Ref: BTD/968/0
Batch: 40997

Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations!!!

Dear Winner,

The prestigious Microsoft and AOL Lottery has set out and successfully organized a Sweepstakes marking the January 2009 celebrations. We rolled out over US$41, 849,564 for the January 2009 celebrations Draws. Participants for the draws were randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their patronage.

The selection was made through a c computer draw system attaching personalized-mail addresses to ticket numbers. If you ignore this, you will regret it later. Microsoft and AOL Lottery are now the largest Intern et companies and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program; Microsoft and AOL Lottery are running an e-mail beta.

Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to ticket number 0087957274 9 8 with serial numbers BTD/90 80648302/08 and drew the lucky numbers&nb s p; 12 -18-25-28-43-49 bonus (10) which subsequently won you US$950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) as one of the 10 jackpot winners in this draw. You have therefore won the entire winning sum of US$950 ,000.00 ( Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) the draws registered as Draw number one was conducted in Brockley, London United Kingdom on the 12th of Januray 2009 These Draws are commemorative and as such special.

Please be informed by this winning notification, to file your claims. You are to make contact with your de signated agent who shall by duty guide you through the process to facilitate the release of your prize. To file for your claim Pl ease Contact your delivery agency in the contact information below:

Delivery agency contact information:

Name of claim agency firm: Microsoft Award Client Services
60 Great Ormond Street , Johannesburg , South Africa .

Contact Person: Mr. Van Joseph
Tel: + 27 78 566 5557
Email: vjvanjoseph2008@gmail.com

You are advised to contact your fiduciary agent with the following details to avoid unnecessary delays and complications:

1) Full name:
2) Address:
3) Ti cket Numbers:
4) Batch Numbers:
5) Serial Number:
6) Lucky Numbers: (as indicated in this winning Notification)
7) Telephone / Fax numbers:
8) Amount won:
9) Sex:
10) Age:
11) Occupation:
12) Nationality:
13) Country of resident:

Our special thanks and gratitude to Bill Gates and his associates. We wish you the best of luck as you spend your good fortune in this season.

Note: You have Seven days from the date of this publication to claim your prize or you may forfeit your winnings. In compliance with the sponsoring bodies', you are to make a remittance of a part of your winning fund, not lower than 10-percent, after receiving your allocation to a charity organization of your choice in your country.

Thank you for being part of our commemorative January 2009 Draws.

Mrs. Bryan McDonald
Microsoft Promotion.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam