Did you know that Microsoft has a lottery? And that they give
away huge amounts of money to people simply for having "an active online email
account"? This is news to Microsoft, too.
If you received an email from "THE DESK OF THE MICROSOFT ™
PROMOTIONS MANAGER INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT" with the
slogan: "MOTTO:
FIGHTING POVERTY AROUND THE WORLD" for "Microsoft Users Award Lottery" telling you that "your
email address won in the second category" or something similar, and to
contact "Mr.Jeff Mabuza" to collect your winnings, it is a
scam.
Microsoft has never had any lottery (and we're pretty sure they never
will). Bill Gates has made that pretty clear. 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", nor "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 an complete
imbecile!
Below is the example of the fake lottery scam claiming to
be from the "Microsoft Users Award Lottery".
-
Microsoft does not have or sponsor any lottery.
-
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.
-
"No tickets were sold": You care to explain where the
money comes from? Perhaps the lottery money fairy? Why would a lottery
give away money to "email address randomly selected by a computer ballot
draw system"? This is CLEARLY nonsense: you MUST, repeat MUST buy a
ticket to have a chance of winning any lottery!
-
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 real organization
would use it's own email, it's 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! It should read: "For our own security, you
are advised to keep your winning information confidential until we have
finished scamming you!"
-
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.
MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY AROUND THE WORLD
FROM: THE DESK OF THE MICROSOFT ™ PROMOTIONS MANAGER
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD DEPARTMENT, UNITED KINGDOM WC1B 4AR.
REF.:PEC/9030108308/08.
Batch: 15/76/EF36.
Serial No: SALP97585.
FILE No: B665 75608567.
Security code: ZA/183/RR
ELETRONIC EMAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION AWARD
PRESENTATION CENTER: UNITED KINGDOM
ATTN: WINNER,
Microsoft™ co-operation management worldwide is pleased
to inform you that you are a winner of our annual MICROSOFT™ USERS
AWARD-Lottery conducted in UNITED KINGDOM .
Your personal e-mail address or company email was
attached to Serial No: SALP97585.Consequently winning in the first lottery
category.
You have therefore been approved for a total sums of
£800,000 (Eight Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling) Equivalent to 1,645,514.94 USD
Credited to FILE No: B665 75608567.With REF:PEC/9030108308/07.
This is from total prize money of £60,000,000, shared
among the Seventy-five (75) lucky Worldwide winners in first category.
All participants were selected through our Microsoft
computer ballot system,drawn from Canada, Asia, Australia, United States,
Europe, Middle East,Africa and Oceania .As part of international "MICROSOFT™
USERS" promotions program, this is conducted bianually.
CONTACT
Mr.Jeff
Mabuza
57-197 Buckingham
palace road
sw1w
9sp L ondon
Emails:
microsoft.promotions.2008@gmail.com
microsoft.promotions.08@gmail.com
Tel: +44-702-4064-568
Tel:
+44-702-4064-596
Remember, all prize money must be claimed within 30
days of this notification. All funds not claimed on or before the fixed date
will be returned return to Government Treasury as Unclaimed. Congratulations!!
once more from the entire management and staffs of Microsoft™ co-operation. To
all our lucky winners this year. Thank you for being part of this promotional
lottery program.
For further clarification/verification of your claims.
Please contact your fiduciary agent through the above, EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE
NUMBERS stated in this notification e-mail. You are to fill the information
below to enable you file your winnings sum.
Full Names:..........................
Physical Address :............
Nationality :.....................
Age:..............................
Phone numbers{land/mobile}:.......
For Security reasons, you are advised to keep your
winning information CONFIDENTIAL
Microsoft ™ takes all reasonable steps to ensure that
the information in this email is accurate. However, the company gives no
warranty, whether express or implied, regarding the content of this email, nor
do we accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from your receipt
of this message. Any decision made by an individual based on information in this
email is the responsibility of that individual alone. You have to note that the
only person that have the right to represent you in your claim is your appointed
Agent only.
Copyright
© 1998-2007 The MICROSOFT™ Inc.
All rights
reserved. Terms of Service - Guideline
