Protect Yourself and Report the Latest Frauds, Scams, Spams, Fakes, Identify Theft Hacks and Hoaxes
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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.
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)
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified lottery scams companies
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