Did you receive an email from "Steve Ballmer, CEO" at "MICROSOFT-YAHOO! CORPORATIONS UK"
telling you that "Your e-mail address attached to ticket number" or something
similar, won the MICROSOFT-YAHOO! CORPORATIONS UK lottery and to contact "Mr.Jimmy Walters" to collect your winnings? Were
you even aware that Yahoo has a lottery, together with Microsoft? Have you heard
of "MICROSOFT-YAHOO! CORPORATIONS UK"? And that they give
away huge amounts of money to people simply for having "an active online email
account"? This is news to Yahoo and Microsoft; especially since they are
direct competitors.
Neither Yahoo nor Microsoft have
never had any lottery (and we're pretty sure they never will). They
certainly would not do ANYTHING together. Neither Microsoft nor Yahoo
"collects email addresses" or selects winners "using a
database of email addresses", or "from websites worldwide", or from "our
computer ballot system". Each of those activities would be illegal in many
countries, under existing privacy laws. Not to mention, it simply makes no
sense for Yahoo to simply give away money. Real lotteries take in much
more money than they give away, through ticket sales? Businesses are not
lotteries - customers don't buy or use their products or services on the hope
that the company will run a lottery for its customers. And it's just plain
dumb to believe that!
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-YAHOO! CORPORATIONS UK".
-
Yahoo 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
Yahoo 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.) -
often not even a Yahoo free account. Don't you think Yahoo would write
from their own corporate address?
-
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.
FROM: THE DESK OF THE PROMOTIONS MANAGER INTERNATIONAL
GRANTS/PRIZE AWARD DEPT
REF:YAHOO7/315116127/27
BATCH:15/623/UK.
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Yahoo!
Financial new year promotions held on the 23/03/2008.Your e-mail address
attached to ticket number 883734657492-5319 with serial number 7263-267, batch
number 8254297137,lottery ref number 7336065782 and drew lucky numbers
14-22-28-37-40-44 which consequently won you the cash prize in the 1st category,
you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of £1,000,000.00 (i.e
One Million United Kingdom Pounds).Please note that this Promotional Programmes
tagged "Thanks for contributing to our financial Sucess" was sponsored and
organized by the Yahoo! Microsoft Corporation in view of the Financial benefits
YAHOO! have received from its numerous customers either through adverts, hosting
and personal emails. The reason this lottery was organiz ed is to thank the
numerous public including users and non-users of YAHOO! MAIL for the financial
benefits THE YAHOO! MICROSOFT CORPORATION have received as a result of their
Patronage last Year.This Lottery is approved and licensed by the International
Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). This lottery is the first of its kind
organised by YAHOO! MICROSOFT In view of this, your One Million United Kingdom
Pounds (£1,000,000.00) would be released to you by the claims office here in
UK. To file for your claims, please contact our claims director Mr.Owen Smith
who is incharge of the claims office in UK. Contact him for the claims of your
One Million United Kingdom Pounds.
You are to contact the claims officer with his office
email address and telephone number provided in the below details:
Contact Info:
Mr.Jimmy Walters
REMMITANCE DIRECTOR
MICROSOFT-YAHOO! CORPORATIONS UK
44 Moorfields London EC2Y 9AL UNITED KINGDOM
Email:
mr.jimmywalters_claimsdept1@yahoo.com
For processing and remmitance of your winnings, you are
required to contact our designated claims officer with the following underlisted
informations:
===============================================================================================
APPLICATION FOR
PRIZE CLAIM
(Receipt
Official Notification Letter)
FULL NAMES..............................
CONTACT ADDRESS.....................
COUNTRY...................................
SEX:..........................................
AGE...........................................
MARITAL STATUS........................
OC CUPATION............................
NATION ALITY...........................
TELEPHONE NUMBER..................
HAVE YOU A PASSPORT OR LICENCE (Proof Of Identity):
BATCH NUMBER........................
REFERENCE NUMBER..................
Once Again Thanks For Contributing To Our Financial
Success!!!
Yours Sincerely,
Steve Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft-Yahoo! Corporation.
