Consumer Fraud Reporting

Reporting on the Latest Frauds, Scams, Fake Lotteries, Spams and Hoaxes

Home GovernmentAgencies Recognize a scam Report a Scam If you are scammed Prevent scams Free Publications Recommended Feedback to CFR Glossary Search
 

Recommended:
books

Recommended
AV product:

Sample Lottery Scam Email:
Microsoft Award Team ,
 Mr. Robert Alfred, Mr. Philips Cole

Below is yet another version of the Microsoft scam - this one using the name "Microsoft Award Team", or "Microsoft Award Winning Lottery Notification", or "MICROSOFT EMAIL PROMOTION DEPARTMENT" or "Microsoft Promotion Award Team" or "MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO" - the scammer uses ALL of these names in the same email. This ranks as one of the most pathetic scams attempts we've ever seen. If you fell for this scam, we really feel sorry for you; you must get scammed on a daily basis.  Why do we say this?  Well, this scam includes so many, many obvious elements of a scam, and they are so ridiculous that we can't imagine anyone believing it. For example, Microsoft and AOL are competitors!

There are many signs that this is a fraud, not the least of which are:

  • Microsoft never has and never will sponsor a lottery, of any kind.  Bill Gates has made that pretty clear. Is there any way we make make that more clear?

  • Since when does Microsoft have a "Winning Claims Dept."? No corporation does. None. Software companies DO NOT give away money.

  • Why does the Courier company have a free yahoo email address?

  • Microsoft's headquarters are in Redmond, Washington, USA.  Why would they announce this in "Harrow, England"?

In addition to the usual clues, notice the gibberish writing, excessive/incorrect use of CAPITAL letters, lack of decent punctuation.  The sentences don't even make sense.  Hardly what a professional (i.e., real) lottery would do. Note the other clues to an obvious fraud in the letter; implied threats "your parcel will be returned if you do not..." keep confidential, selected by a random computer lottery of email addresses, use of free email accounts, etc.

Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification. 

 Also see this page for a sample in the UK.

Microsoft Promotion
Subject:   Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 9:14 AM   

Contact Our Affiliate Courier Company For Your Winning‏ Cheque‏‏‏‏    Size: 13 KB  

MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM
Microsoft Corporation
#1 Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052.

PAYMENT OPTIONS / CLAIMS DELIVERY PROCEDURE

ATTN: <your name here>,

   This is to inform you that your winning parcel is ready for delivery and you have to contact the courier company for the payment fees for the delivery of your parcel and know that if you fail to comply with the payment option from the courier company, they will return your winning parcel back to Microsoft Award Promotion Team as unclaimed parcel. So you are hereby advice to contact the courier and comply with them so that they will delivery your winning cheque as soon as possible.

CONTACT  BDC DISPATCH COURIER LTD:

     Mr. Philips Cole COURIER COMPANY:: BDC DISPATCH COURIER LTD.

COURIER ADDRESS:: KINGS HOUSE

     1ST FLOOR,CLARENDON ROAD
     HARROW,MIDDLESEX
     HA1 1YJ,UNITED KINGDOM

     Tel:   +44-(704) 572-2345

     E-MAIL:: bdccourier_services@yahoo.co.uk

You are hereby directed to make the above contact immediately stating your pin numbers also {98144762} and inform them about your winnings and that you want your delivery made as soon as possible. Inform me as soon as you contact the courier company. For further enquiry do not hesitate to contact me via telephone.

 """""""""ATTENTION WINNER"""""""""

1. NOTE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COURIER DELIVERY CHARGES FEES.

2. YOUR DRAFT CERTIFIED CHEQUE HAVE BEEN ENDORSED, FORWARD TO THE COURIER COMPANY.

3. YOU ARE TO NOTE THAT THE COURIER COMPANY CANNOT DEDUCT YOUR COURIER CHARGES FROM YOUR WINNING CHEQUE BECAUSE IT AGAINST THE POLICY OF THE MICROSOFT CO-OPERATIONS UNITED KINGDOM.

4. GIVE YOUR CORRECT RESIDENTIAL/DELIVERY ADDRESS TO THE COURIER COMPANY FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY OF YOUR WINNING CHEQUE.

Congratulations once again from the entire staff of the Microsoft Award Team.

Sincerely ,

Mr. Robert Alfred.

MICROSOFT?AWARD TEAM.

Head Winning Claims Dept.

United Kingdom

Tel: +44-704-571-2343 

Names of Scam / Fake / Fraud Lottery 

Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies

***

Copyright CFR 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008  - Definition of scam, fraud, etc. -  Legal disclaimer / corrections / complaints 
Names used by scammers in the examples on this page and others often belong to real people and businesses who often have no knowledge of nor connection to the scammer's use of their name and information.  Sample scam emails and other documents are copies of the scam to help potential victims recognize and avoid it.  You should presume that any names used and presented here in a scam are either fictitious or used without their legitimate owner's permission.
Email us at: