Microsoft Sweepstakes Scam Email:
Microsoft Awards Center
"John McCarthy Esq", "Mr. James Andrew in London"
Have you received an email from "John McCarthy Esq" at "Microsoft Awards Center" telling you that
"Your Email ID has won" in the 2009 End of year "Microsoft Splash Awards"
or "your
email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to
contact "Mr. James Andrew in London" to collect your winnings? It is a
scam.
Did you know that Microsoft has a sweepstakes in which they
randomly give away money to people whose email addresses Microsoft magically
"collected"? This is news to Microsoft, too. It is a
scam.
Microsoft has never had any sweepstakes (and we're pretty sure
they never will). Bill Gates has made that pretty clear. Their motto
is most definitely NOT "Fighting Poverty Around the World".
And, while we're on
the subject, 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", "to promote the use of email", to reward users, nor "to
promote the use of computers
worldwide". Nor do they have lotteries to "promote MS Word" or "the launch
of Vista", Hotmail, or other products. No lottery selects winners "using a
database of email addresses", or "from websites worldwide", or from "our
computer ballot system".
The scammers may change the names and details, but it is still a
scam! Don't be completely gullible!
Below is the example of the fake lottery scam claiming to
be from the "Microsoft Awards Center".
Although the most important clue is that there is NO
Microsoft sweepstakes, lottery or any other giveaway, there are many other signs that this is a fraud.
We have
highlighted some of these 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 excessive and random CapItaLiZAtion.
They often can't even spell "February" or know that "22th" ought to
be "22nd". These scammers usually write at the 3rd grade level.
Being non-native English speakers, they also often get first names and
surnames (last names reversed), so you will frequently see names like "Mr.
SMITH JAMES.", instead of "Mr. James Smith", along with the peculiar usage
of periods (full stops) and spaces or the lack thereof. Real lotteries also proofread their emails
and look and read more professional.
-
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
Microsoft would write to your from and have you reply to an address "@Microsoft.com"?
-
Keep Confidential - Real sweepstakes and lotteries THRIVE on
publicity - they don't want you to keep anything secret - the publicity
causes people to enter or buy more of their products. The scammer
want you to keep quiet because they don't want the police or ConsumerFraudreporting to hear about them!
It should read: "For our own security, you are advised to keep your winning
information confidential until we have finished scamming you!"
-
Require the winner to pay - U.S. federal law
prohibits sweepstakes from charging you for anything, not "delivery",
couriers, taxes, fees, handling charges, or anything else!
Here is a typical scam sweepstakes winning notification.
Actual scam email (One example - the scammers constantly change
names, dates and addresses!):
MICROSOFT AWARDS
CENTER
124 Stockport Road , Longsight, Manchester M60 2DB - United Kingdom
Your Email ID has won One Million Great Britain Pounds
(£1,000,000.00) in the 2009 End of year Microsoft Splash Awards (INT'L)
promotion Emails ID Draw organized by Window live & Yahoo and few from other
e-mail providers
To claim your prize contact Mr. James Andrew in London
by this Email (yourprocessingagent@gmail.com)
TEL: 44 703 174 9721 and also furnish him with
the followings for your claim.
Name (in Full) :
Country:
Address:
Telephone No.:
Mobile:
Fax No.:
Sex:
Age:
Occupation/position:
Amount Won: £1,000,000.00
Ref Number: 2008234522
Batch Number: MFI/08/APA-43658
Winning No: 01 14 21 30 35 48
CONGRATULATIONS!!
We wish you the best of luck as you spend your good
fortune in this season.
Yours in service,
Dr. (Mrs.)
Joy Smith (Publicity Secretary)
JOHN McCarthy AND ASSOCIATES
75B Redditch Road , Kings Norton Birmingham, B38 8QS,
Birmingham , UK , Principal Contact: JOHN McCarthy
Email:
lawfirmlondon@yahoo.co.uk
lawfirmassociates@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: +44 703 174 1934
Attention <your
name appears here>
I charges you £2350 pounds and as you to pay 350 pound
as part payment to swear affidavit on your behalf to get clearance from the
national lottery commission/Management Board that will be present to the
Ministry of finance as well as the British Revenue Services for them to
authorized the bank to pay your winning amount to you. When the money gets into
your account then you can pay me off the balance of 2000 pounds this was my
agreement with you.
The bank said that
Before your winning amount will be
credit into your account I have to sign the Fund Release Order paper on your
behalf as your legal representative (Attorney) with Mandatory Endorsement Fee (MEF)
and Cost of Transfer (COT) which is Total of £889.84 pounds in South Africa Rand
(10,800 ZAR ).
This fee has to be paid to enable me sign the fund
release documents for immediate transfer of your One Million Pounds into your
account. The bank will not make any transfer into your account if I did not sign
the fund release order with the fee required from you.
Once the fee is paid, I will sign on your behalf and
with 24 hours your winning amount will be right in your account. This is the
bank (Banking regulation and proceedings) can not change it.
The said fee £889.84 pounds could has taken out from
your One Million Pounds winning amount but due to that your winning amount has
undergone insurance coverage policy, No deduction of cent till you have it in
your account in South Africa.
When this fee is paid then I will sign the fund release
order paper for the bank to transfer your winning amount into your account then
they will issue to me the Telex Transmission transfer/deposit slip which I will
send to you by attachment.
So urge you to go and pay the fee through our fiduciary
account coordinator in South Africa. You have to make the payment in your local
currency (10,800.ZAR) into this account below.
BENEFICIARY: I.C.UGBAJA
BANK NAME: ABSA BANK
ACCOUNT NO: 9210025380
BRANCH CODE: 632005
send to by attachment the deposit slip which I will
forward to our fiduciary account coordinator in South Africa to confirm to us of
the payment then I will proceed to the bank make the payment in your reference
and sign the fund release order for immediate transfer of your winning amount.
I will send to you by attachment or fax the Telex
Transmission transfer/deposit slip issued from the bank as a proof that your
fund has been transfer once the signing of the fund release order is done by
me. Do get back to me immediate you get this mail.
I await your response.
Yours Sincerely,
John McCarthy Esq
Names of Scam / Fake / Fraud Lottery
Click here for the huge list of the names of the currently identified
sweepstakes and lottery
scams companies
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