419 scam: GOOGLE =?iso-8859-1?b?SU5DT1JQT1JBVElPTq4=?= <awards@google.co.uk> VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.

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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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
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.
- +447035961922 (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.
- dr.obriengibbs@representative.com (Representative; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: GOOGLE =?iso-8859-1?b?SU5DT1JQT1JBVElPTq4=?= <awards@google.co.uk>
Reply-To: dr.obriengibbs@britpost.com
Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 08:07:43 -0300
Subject: VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM.

Google Incorporation=AE.
Belgrave House,
76 Buckingham Palace Road,
London SW1W 9TQ,
UnitedKingdom.

Notification Date:2/10/2010.

Itis obvious that this notification will come to you as a surprise but pleas=
e find time to read it carefully as we congratulate you over your success in=
the following official publication of results of the E-mail electronic onli=
ne Sweepstakes organized by the Google Incorporation in conjunction with th=
e foundation for the promotion of software products, (F.P.S.) held on the 29=
th of September 2010, in United kingdom. Wherein your email address emerged =
as one of the online Winning emails in the 2nd category and therefore attrac=
ted a cash award of =A3850,000.00 {Eight Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great Br=
itish Pounds Sterling}

We wish to formally announceto you that you have successfully passed the req=
uirements, statutory obligations, verifications, validations and satisfactor=
y report test conducted for all our online winners. A winning cheque will be=
issued in your name by the Google Promotion Award Team, you have therefore =
won the entire sum of =A3850,000.00 {Eight Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great =
British Pounds Sterling} and also a certificate of prize claims will be sent=
along side your winning cheque.

Award winning details
Security Code Number:GUK/3554749405GK
Ticket No: GUK/1008272745GK
Winning Number: GUK/99334353734GK

Please note thatinformation's required from you are part of our precautionar=
y measure adopted to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this pro=
gram. To claim your won prize, please contact our Foreign Transfer Manager D=
r Obrien Gibbs neatly filling the verification and funds release form below.

_VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM._
(1) Name:
(2) Address:
(3) MaritalStatus:
(4) Age:
(5) Sex:
(6) Nationality:
(7)Country of Residence:
(8) Occupation:
(9) Telephone Number:
(10)Fax Number:
(11)Your award wining details:

You are advised to contact your Foreign Transfer Manager Dr ObrienGibbs with=
his private email details below to avoid unnecessary delay and complication=
s:

**********************************************
FOREIGN TRANSFERMANAGER.
DR OBRIEN GIBBS=20
GOOGLE SECURITY DEPARTMENT.
E-MAIL: dr.obriengibbs@representative.com
CALL: +447035961922 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +447035961922 end_=
of_the_skype_highlighting
*************************************************

The GooglePromotion Award Team has discovered a huge number of double claims=
due to winners informing close friends relatives and third parties about th=
eir winnings and also sharing their identification numbers. As a result of t=
his, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. T=
he Google promotion award committee has reached a decision from the headquar=
ters at the United Kingdom that any double claim discovered by the Lottery B=
oard will result to the disqualification of the winners lottery. So you are =
hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings strictly confidentia=
l until you claim your prize.

Congratulations from the Staffs & Members of the Google interactive Lottery =
Board Commission.

Yours Sincerely,
MattBrittin
Google Director.
London,
United Kingdom

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam