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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "PAUL MORGAN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barclaysin@blumail.org>
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2012 13:17:44 +0100
Subject: We write to officially notify you

Microsoft Promotion Award Team
Stamford New Road,
Altrincham Cheshire
WA14 1EP
London.
United Kingdom
MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION.
   It is obvious that this notification will come to you as a surprise but please find time to read it carefully as we congratulate you over your success in the following official publication of results of the New Year E-mail electronic online Sweepstakes organized by Microsoft, in conjunction with the foundation for the promotion of software products, (F.P.S.) held today in London United Kingdom. Where your email address emerged as one of the online Winning emails in the 2nd category and therefore attracted a cash award of 1,650,000.00 {One Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling's}.
The selection process was carried out through random selection in our Computerized Email Selection System (C.E.S.S.) from a database of over a million email addresses from each continent of the World Wide Web drawn from all the continents of the world.
They are arranged in this format below:
CATEGORY NO.OF WINNERS WINNING PRIZES
1st. (1) 2,500,000.00 pounds each
2nd. (3) 1,650,000.00 pounds each
3rd. (5) 1,000,000.00 pounds each
4th. (5) 750,000.00 pounds each
We write to officially notify you of this award and to advise you to contact the processing office immediately upon receipt of this message for more information concerning the verification, processing and eventual payment of the above prize to you. It is important to note that your award information was released with the following particulars attached to it.
(1) Award numbers: MLAT2012
(2) Email ticket numbers: 1587-5896-4598-87,
(3) Batch numbers: 850THL2011
(4) The file reference numbers: MLY-Y/250-450890
(5) Serial Numbers: McST/776/ML10101
For verification purpose be sure to include:
VERIFICATION AND FUNDS RELEASE FORM-:
1. Full Names:
2. Sex:
3. Age:
4. Marital Status:
5. Nationality:
6. Residential Address: :
7 Occupation:
8. Telephone Number:
9. Fax Number:
10. Category:
11. Have you ever won an Online Lottery?
12. Award Number:
13. Mode Of Remittance:
14. How do you feel as a winner?
Mode Of Prize Remittance.
(1)Cash Pick-Up (You coming Down to United Kingdom Personally to Pick Your Prize).
(2)Courier Delivery Of your Certified Winning Cheque Name and other Winning Documents safely to you.
To begin your Claim, do contact MR. WILLIAMS REEALE immediately via email: verification@microsoftcorporationseu.com or via phone:+447045718749 upon receipt of this message  for more information concerning the verification, processing and eventual  payment of the above prize to you.
***********************************************************
PAYMENT OFFICER
MR. WILLIAMS REEALE
MICROSOFT EUROPEAN HEAD OFFICE (UK).
Email: verification@microsoftcorporationseu.com
Phone: +447045718749
***********************************************************
The Microsoft Window lottery has discovered a huge number of double claims due to winners informing close friends relatives and third parties about their winning and also sharing their pin numbers. As a result of this, these friends try to claim the lottery on behalf of the real winners. The Microsoft lottery has reached a decision from headquarters that any double claim discovered by the Lottery Board will result to the Canceling of that particular winning, making a loss for both the double claimer and the real winner, as it is taken that the real winner was the informer to the double claimer about the lottery. So you are hereby strongly advised once more to keep your winnings strictly confidential until you claim your prize.
Once again on behalf of all our staff,
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Sincerely,
MR.PAUL MORGAN
MICROSOFT DIRECTORATE UNIT
M.S.PRO. ZONAL CO-ORDINATOR.

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