419 scam: "9561618" <9561618@jgps.tpc.edu.tw> Dear lucky winner

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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 fake company names, fake addresses, non-existent institutions/documents or other details have appeared in scams before:
- "microsoft lottery" (no such lottery exists)
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "claims office" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
- "hundred thousand great 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)
- "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)
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 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.
- map.dept@yahoo.com.hk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: map.dept@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:47:13 +0800
Subject: Dear lucky winner

MICROSOFT LOTTERY AWARDS PROMO CENTER
124 Stockport Road, Longsight,
Manchester M60 2DB-United Kingdom.
*************************

Dear lucky winner,

This is to inform you that your email has won a consolation prize of the
Microsoft Corporation EMAIL DRAW Today. Your email has won you £500,000.00
GBP (Five Hundred Thousand Great british Pounds) The Five participants for
this year 2009 draws were randomly selected and drawn from a wide range of
web hosts which we enjoy their patronage. As one of the jackpot winners in
his draw. You have therefore won the entire winning sum of £500,000.00 GBP
(Five Hundred Thousand Great british Pounds). Please contact your fiduciary
agent Morgan Walter Esq. with your Batch #:409978E and Reference No: FL/
668530092 and contact him via email immediately within 48 hours with the
information below.

Morgan Walter Esq.
Microsoft Promotion Award Team
Head Winning Claims Dept.
Email: map.dept@yahoo.com.hk
==============================================================
CERTIFICATE OF PRIZE CLAIM (Receipt Official Notification Letter)
==============================================================
1.Your Full Name:
2. Address:
3. Marital Status:
4. Occupation:
5. Age:
6. Sex:
7. Nationality:
8.
Tel:

The Microsoft Internet E-mail lottery Awards is sponsored by our CEO/
Chairman, Bill Gates and a consortium of software promotion companies. The
Intel Group, Toshiba, Dell Computers and other International Companies. The
Microsoft internet E-mail draw is held periodically and is organized to
encourage the use of the Internet and promote computer literacy worldwide.
Congratulations once again on behalf of all our staff.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Anita Barry
Promotions Manager
Microsoft. Claims Office

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam