419 scam: "WEBMASTER AWORDS"<brownfidel_gado@sify.com> ATTENTION:LUCKY WINNER

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

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.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

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.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
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")
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.
- +447024030489 (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.
- smithgerrad4@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "WEBMASTER AWORDS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <smithgerrad4@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:06:28 -0000
Subject: ATTENTION:LUCKY WINNER

Awards Department - Yahoo/Msn Splash Promotions
124 STOCKPORT ROAD, LONGSIGHT, MANCHESTER M60 2DB - UNITED KINGDOM.

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pounds {550,000.00GBP} for the month of November, 2009 Prize Promotion which is Organized by Webmaster Inc .

WEBMASTER collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo, Aol, Hotmail and other email networks. Six people are selected monthly to benefit from this promotion and you are one of the Selected Winners.

PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Center. This Award must be claimed no later than 20 days from date of Draw Notification. Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.
Stated below are your identification numbers:
BATCH NUMBER: YM 09102XN
REFERENCE NUMBER: YM35447XN
PIN: YM09788

These numbers fall within the UNITED KINGDOM Location file, you are requested to contact our fiduciary agent in LONDON and send your winning identification numbers to him;
Agent Name: Rev. Smith Gerrad
E-Mail: smithgerrad4@gmail.com
Tel: +447024030489

You are advised to send the following information to your Claims Agent to facilitate the release of of your fund to you.
1. First name:.......................................
2. Last Name:.......................................
3. Country:.............................................
4. Contact Address:............................
5. Telephone Number:........................
6. fax Number.......................................
7. Marital Status:..................................
8. Occupation:.....................................
9. My Date of birth:...............................
10.Sex:...................................................

Congratulations!! once again.
Yours in service,
Dr. (Mrs.) Maureen Winna

===================================================================
WARNING!
Do not tell people about your Prize Award until your money is successfully handed over to you to avoid disqualification that may arise from double claim.

You may also receive similar e-mails from people portraying to be other Organizations or Yahoo Inc. This is solely to collect your personal information from you and lay claim over your winning. In event that you receive any e-mail similar to the notification letter that was sent to you, Kindly forward a copy to us and delete it from your mail box and give no further correspondence to such person or body.
Yahoo shall not be held responsible for any loss of fund arising from the above mentioned

TESTIMONIES OF OUR PAST LUCKY WINNERS:
''When I first received an unsolicited email that I have just won Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand British Pounds it appeared to me like one of those uncalled -for emails . However when I decided to justify my curiosity by contacting Rev. Smith Gerrad to know if this was real he instructed me on what to do to claim my winning and as a matter of fact I was skeptical initially but when I did I was full of surprise when my bank here in America called me up to confirm to me that an additional Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand British Pounds Has been transferred from London to my account ....... I am really happy for the WEBMASTER INC who made it possible for me to be Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand British Pounds Richer Today ''..
[Mr. Micheal Shaun [From Florida In The United States Of America ]

'' I can beat my hands on my chest and tell any one who cares to listen that this is a geniue lottery. I am a living testimony ,my parents never believed when I informed them that I won but today look at me only 20 years old and I am already smiling to the bank with Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds ''
Carol Williams [Canada]

'' Infact , I am donating 20% percent to any charity organization of my choice in Asia as a free -will gift and a thank you gift to the Almighty God for making it possible for me to win a lottery ''.
Mr. Jim Chun [From China]

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam