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Sample Lottery Scam Email:
MICROSOFT E-MAIL LOTTERY PROMOTION AWARD
MONICA SHAGAYA, Alan Stubs
Microsoft is the frequent target of scammers, who use victim's
ignorance of email technology to spin webs about how Microsoft is "testing the
email" or wants to "encourage use of the internet" and therefore is giving away
millions of dollars in random lotteries. The Microsoft E-mail Lottery Promotion
Award" scam is just such a fraud. Sad to say, anyone with 1/4 of a brain can
follow the simple logic to figure out that these events and statements just
don't make sense. However, we live in a time of ever increasing numbers of
scammers, more complex technology, and more gullible people looking for instant
riches.
Microsoft never has and never will sponsor a lottery, of any
kind. Bill Gates has made that pretty clear. And, by the way,
Microsoft is not, does not, and will not ever send you to DisneyWorld. They
don't "test the internet", nor sponsor email lotteries to "promote use of the
internet".
There are many other signs that this is a fraud that we have
highlighted in the email below, not the least
of which are:
-
Email address ballot: There is no such thing as a
"computer ballot system" or "computer email draw". No one, not even
Microsoft has a database of email addresses of the type or magnitude they
suggest.
-
Terrible spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar - Scammers
apparently don't know how to use spell checkers. We assume they
dropped out of school before that class. They use almost random
CapItaLiZAtion and often can't even spell "February" or know that "22th" ought to
be "22nd". Real lotteries proofread their emails and use people
who can write above the 3rd grade level.
-
Using free email account: The scammer is writing to
you from a FREE email account (Yahoo, Hotmail, Excite, AIM, Gmail, etc.). Don't you think a real organization
would use its own email, its own domain and website?
-
Keep Confidential - Real lotteries THRIVE on
publicity - they don't want you to keep anything secret - the publicity
causes people to buy more tickets. there is NO risk of "double claiming"
because they can validate where the ticket numbers were sold. The scammer
want you to keep quiet because they don't want the police or
ConsumerFraudreporting to hear about them!
-
Email notification: NO REAL LOTTERY SENDS AN EMAIL TO
NOTIFY WINNERS. Period. Full-stop. End of story. There mere fact
ALONE that you received an email saying you won a lottery is proof that it
is a scam.
Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification.
Scam email:
Date: Feb 28, 2007 7:58 AM
Subject: MICROSOFT E-MAIL LOTTERY PROMOTION AWARD
MICROSOFT CORPORATION
BALEY HOUSE, HAR ROAD SUTTON,
GREATER LONDON SM1 4TE.
UNITED KINGDOM.
REF NO: YM35447XN
BATCH: YM 09102XN
MICROSOFT E-MAIL LOTTERY PROMOTION: UNITED KINGDOM
Finally, Today, we announce the results of the MICROSOFT E-MAIL LOTTERY DRAWS
held on Febuary 24th, 2007. Your E-mail
address attached to winning number YM09788, With serial number 647489,
consequently won in the Tenth category. Since the draw
was conducted through zonal batching of the emails sampled, and the globe was
divided, in this instance, into two zones, You
are hereby notified that your winning falls under Europe Zone, and hence you are
to be paid by our European Payment
Centre.You have been approved for lump sums pay out of £500,000,00 British
Pounds Sterling in Certified Cheque Credited to
File REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number -- ---
Selection process was
carried out through random sampling in our
computerized E-mail selection machine (TOPAZ) from a database of over 1,000,000
E-mail addresses drawn from all the
continents of the world.
The online draws was conducted by a random selection of E-mail addresses from
29,031 lists of E-mail addresses of individuals
and corporate bodies picked by an advanced automated random computer search from
the internet. No ticket were sold but all
E-mail addresses were assigned to different ticket numbers for representation.
This is to encourage ourprominent Microsoft
Internet Explorer users all over the world, and for the Continuing use of
E-mail facilities.
Your fund has been insured with your REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number
---- -. To claim your winning prize, You are
to contact the Fudiciary agent below:
Mr.Alan Stubs
Email:
ukclaimsdepartments1@yahoo.com.hk
In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote
your reference and winning numbers in all
correspondences with your claims officer.
You are to keep all lotto information
away from the general public especially your
winning serial, and file reference numbers.( This is important as a case of
double claims will not be entertained)
NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO INCLUDE ALL THE DATA BELOW WHEN CONTACTING THE PAYMENT
AGENT:
1.Full Name:.............................................................
2.Address:................................................................
3.Nationality:.......................................................... .
4.Sex:...................................................................
5.Age:.........................Date of
Birth:............................
6.Occupation:........................................................... .
7.Home Tel:..........Mobile Tel:................Fax:.................
8.State of Origin:.....................Country:.......................
9Your File Ref No: ...............................................
10.Indicate the zone where your winning falls.....................
Dr.MONICA SHAGAYA
Online Co-ordinator
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Note;Do not reply this mail, You are to contact Affiliate Payment Agency in
charge of the delivery of your Cheque
immediately by E-mail. Microsoft Electronic Mail Lottery is approved and
Licensed by the The International Association of
Gaming Regulators (IAGR)
Names of Scam / Fake / Fraud Lottery
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery
scams companies
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