Never saw one quite like this, tell me what you think?

[amicus]

: Tue, 29 Aug 2006 11:27:35 +0300
From: "Micro Soft" <lottomicro@walla.com> Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Subject: MICROSOFT COOPERATION MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE


MOTTO: FIGHTING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD

DEAR WINNER,

MICROSOFT COOPERATION MANAGEMENT WORLDWIDE ARE PLEASED TO INFORM YOU THAT YOU ARE A WINNER OF OUR ANNUAL MS-WORD LOTTO LOTTERY CONDUCTED IN AFRICA BEING THE HOST OF THE EVENT FOR THIS PRESENT YEAR MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNING PROGRAMS HELD ON 29, Aug 2006.

YOUR PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS OR COMPANY EMAIL WAS ATTACHED TO may MSWLL. WITH SERIAL NUMBER S/N-00168 DREW THE LUCKY NUMBERS 887-13-865-37-10-83, AND CONSEQUENTLY WON IN THE FIRST LOTTERY CATEGORY. YOU HAVE THEREFORE BEEN APPROVED FOR LUMP SUMS OF 1,000,000 ( USD ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) PAYABLE IN CASH CREDITED TO FILE REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937 THIS IS FROM TOTAL PRIZE MONEY OF 25,000,000 USD, SHARED AMONG THE TWENTY-FIVE (25) LUCKY INTERNATIONAL WINNERS IN FIRST AND SECOND CATEGORY.

ALL PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED FROM WORLDWIDE WEBSITES ESPECIALLY YAHOO MAIL THROUGH OUR MICROSOFT COMPUTER BALLOT SYSTEM DRAWN FROM 21,000 NAMES, 3,000 NAMES FROM EACH CONTINENT (CANADA, ASIA, AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATE, EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND OCEANIA, AS PART OF INTERNATIONAL "E- MAIL" PROMOTIONS PROGRAM, WHICH IS CONDUCTED ANNUALLY FOR OUR PROMINENT MS -WORD USERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF INTERNET AND COMPUTERS WORLDWIDE.
YOUR FUND (CERTIFIED CHEQUE) HAS BEEN INSURED WITH YOUR REF NO: MSW-L/200-26937 AND WILL BE READY FOR DELIVERY. YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS SHOULD BE USED IN ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH YOUR PAYING BANK, PLEASE NOTE THAT, YOU ARE TO CONTACT YOUR PAYING BANK VIA EMAIL AND PHONE AS WE ARE PROMOTING THE USE OF E-MAIL. ALSO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL THEM TO CONFIRM YOUR WINNINGS AND GOVERNMENT TAX PAYMENT THAT IS ALL, AS THEY WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE NECESSARY DETAILS ON HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE.

AS PART OF OUR SECURITY PROTOCOL YOU ARE TO QUOTE THIS SECURITY CODE MSW/FEB/XX06 TO YOUR CLAIMING AGENT. THIS IS TO PREVENT SCAM .
PRIZE CLAIM YOU ARE TO CONTACT YOUR PAYING BANK WITH THE FOLLOWING VITAL INFORMATIONS.
Full Name:
Full Address:
Nationality:
Occupation:
Age:
Sex:
Marital status:
Winning numbers:
Batch number:
Amount won:
Email address:
Phone number{land/mobile}:
PAYING BANK CONTACT INFORMTION

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA, PLC

Head Office: Lagos,
Nigeria UBA House 57, MARINA,
P.O. Box 2406, Lagos.
Tel: +234 8037433296
Fax: 01- 4748626
Telex: MIBANK NG 28493, 287196,
11489 and 28990
E-mail: unitedbplc@financier.com
Contact Namer.Aliyu Dikko

REMEMBER, ALL PRIZE MONEY MUST BE CLAIMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ALL FUNDS NOT CLAIMED ON OR BEFORE THE FIXED DATE WILL BE RETURNED AS UNCLAIMED AND DONATED TO CHARITY ORGANIZATION IN AFRICA.

NOTE: IN ORDER TO AVOID MISTAKES, PLEASE REMEMBER TO QUOTE YOUR REFERENCE AND BATCH NUMBERS AND YOUR SECURITY CODE OF MSW/FEB/XX06 IN ALL CORRESPONDENCES WITH YOUR PAYING BANK. DO NOT REPLY ANY OTHER MAILS LIKE THIS ON NET, AS THEY ARE A LOT OF SCAM ARTIST OUT THERE PRETENDING TO BE US. YOU MAY SEE MAILS LIKE THIS DO NOT REPLY.

CONGRATULATIONS, ONCE MORE FROM THE ENTIRE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF OF MICROSOFT COOPERATION TO ALL OUR LUCKY WINNERS THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS PROMOTIONAL LOTTERY PROGRAM. OUR SPECIAL THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO BILL GATE OF MICROSOFT AND ALL HIS ASSOCIATES FOR ALLEVIATING POVERTY ROUND THE WORLD.
SINCERELY,



Mrs. Basheera Abubakar Mrs. Caro Smith
(Co-coordinator). (Secretary)



LOTTERY SPONSORS: CHIEF SPONSORS;

MICROSOFT CORPORATION UK, MICROSOFT CORPORATION AFRICA,
MICROSOFT CORPORATION USA, MICROSOFT CORPORATION ASIA.

Past winners.

FROM: THE DESK OF THE E-MAIL PROMOTIONS MANAGER INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS/PRIZE
REFERENCE NO: MSW-L/200-26937
BATCH NO: 2005SEPTL#22
WINNER NO: 5
ELECTRONIC MAIL AWARD WINNING NOTIFICATION
AWARD PRESENTATION CENTER: UNITED KINGDOM
AWARD DEPARTMENT, MICROSOFT CORPORATION WORD LOTTERY
UNITED KINGDOM.61-70 Southampton Row,
Bloomsbury London United Kingdom WC1B 4AR.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That is an email I just received...now I know it is a scam of some sort, but what sort?

any ideas? And did anyone else get a similar one?


amicus...

 

[Lauren Hynde]

That is an email I just received...now I know it is a scam of some sort, but what sort?

any ideas? And did anyone else get a similar one?


amicus...

Never trust email if it is written in all caps. Never trust a bank if its contact details consist of a Nigerian mobile phone (+234 80).

This is a variation of that typical 419 scam. In the next contact, they'll ask you for an advance fee for paperwork so that they can pay you.

 

[amicus]

Thanks Lauren...I forwarded it to Microsoft...appreciate your reply...


amicus...

 

[Liar]

Fun trivia on the radio a few weeks ago: There is a legit United Bank of Africa, and it is a mostly Nigerian company. But since it's the one of the more common names used and abused in those scams, they've had to employ a clerk and a lawyer to handle the complaints and occational lawsuits full time.

 

[R. Richard]

Thanks Lauren...I forwarded it to Microsoft...appreciate your reply...


amicus...

As Lauren says, it is a Nigerian scheme. although a bit different from the ususal one. You will note that they listed Microsoft USA twice in the list of sponsers. A real Microsoft operation would not do that.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Identity theft perhaps. The next email would ask for your SSN is you turn out to be from the US. Then of course they will want your bank account information or credit card information, just for verification you understand.