419 scam: "Notice"<info@microsoft.org> Congratulations You Won

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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:

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.
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.
- +34634045527 (Spain, 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.
- mic.awards@btinternet.com (Btinternet; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Notice" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <onlineclaimsdepart@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2010 20:56:52 +0200
Subject: Congratulations You Won

Microsoft Corporations:
Customer Service
Your Reference No: ESP-X/M-2810
Your Batch No: 2010/101/MIC

Attn: Lucky Winner,

We are pleased to inform you of the release of the long awaited results of
Sweepstakes promotion organized by Microsoft-Internet Explorer,in conjunction
with the foundation for the promotion of software products,(F.P.S.)in our online
email draw for the year 2010 in which e-mail addresses are picked
randomly by computerized balloting,powered by the Internet.

Your email address was among those chosen in the 2nd category and
therefore attracted a cash award of 250,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty
Thousand Euros) and a Dell laptop.

To begin your claim,do file for the release of your winning by contacting
our Foreign Transfer Manager:

Mr. Luis Garcia
Online Awards Claims Dept(Spain).
Tel: +34-63-4045-527
Fax: +34-91-1820-136
Email: mic.awards@btinternet.com

For verification purpose ,Forward to him your claim details below;

(1) Your mailing address:
(2) Your Tel(Mobile):
(3) Your Nationality/Country:
{4} Your Full Names:
{5} Your Occupation:
{6} Your Age:

The Online Awards is sponsored by former CEO/Chairman Bill Gates and other
International Computer software and hardware Companies whose trademark is found herein.The
Intel Group, Toshiba, Adobe Systems Inc, Microsoft-Internet Explorer and Dell Computers.
The Sweepstakes Online Awards is held periodically and is organized to encourage
the use of the Internet and promote computer literacy worldwide.

Congratulations!!

Sincerely,
Mrs.Raquel Sánchez
(Lottery Coordinator)

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam