Have you gotten this email too? Is it a scam? PLEASE HELP!!!?

Question

I got this email, I'm wondering if anyone else has gotten it, or if any of u know about stuff like this and can tell if its a scam or not. Please read it, I replaced some of the numbers, so the info cant be stolen, thanks!

MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY U.K.


REF NO: xxx
BATCH: xxx

MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY PROMOTIONS,EMAIL AWARD PROMO: UNITED
KINGDOM

Finally today, we announce the winners of the MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT
LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS held on Monday 10th April 2006. Your company or
your personal e-mail address, attached to winning number
xxx, With serial number xxx, consequently won in the Tenth lottery
category.

You are therefore been approved for lump sums pay out of GBP
5,500,000.00 POUNDS ($10,464,000 USD) in cash Credited to file REF NO:
xxx and winning number xxx, this is from total prize
money of GBP 27,500,000.00 POUNDS, shared among the Twenty five (25)international winners in this c

category. All participants were selected through our Microsoft computer ballot system drawn form 42,000 Names, 6,000 names from each continent, as part of International "E-MAIL" Promotions Program, for our prominent MS WORD user all over the world, and for the Continues use of E-mail. Your fund (certified Cashiers cheque) has been insured with your REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L and winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100. To claim your winning prize, you must first contact the claims department by email for Processing and remittance of your prize money to you. The CLAIMS AGENT: Name :MR.ALEX VINCENT E-mail: [e-mail]

=[e-mail]&YY=807&y5beta=yes&y5beta=yes&order=down&sort=date&pos=0> E-MAIL:[e-mail] Mr. ALEX VINCENT Claim Officer Microsoft Mega Jackpot Lottery U.K. Do email the above email address, all at once. In order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please remember to quote your reference and winning numbers in all correspondences with your claims officer. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE TO SEND THE BELOW INFORMATIONS REQUIRED TO CLAIM YOUR WINNING PRIZE: 1.Full Name:.2.Address:.3.Nationality:.4.Age:.Date of Birth:.5.Occupation:. 6.Phone7.State of Origin:.Country:. Sincerely, MRS.MARIA MARTIN ________________________________________________________________________ SERVIZIO VOICE: TELEFONA e INVIA SMS dal tuo computer a tariffe vantaggiose! Scopri come telefonare e videochiamare gratis da pc a pc.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO TO GET THESE GUYS IN TROUBLE?
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP BY THE WAY

Answer 1

REF NO: MSW/56B-672GH/L ????????????
winning number 23-76-06-54-42-100 ????????
It is a scam.

You cannot have an international lottery as the gambling laws differ in every country.
The scammers say it is "International" so as to cover every country.
If you want to check a email you think might be a scam go to www.scamomatic.com
Lotterys work like this:
1)10,000 people pay 1 dollar/euro/pound/yen....etc
The lottery company now has 10,000

2) the lottery company holds a draw and gives out 7,000 in winnings (and keeps the profit 3,000)

Scams work like this:
-1)nobody pays money (there is no money to win)

0)a scammer sends out 10,000 spam emails to tell people they have won a lottery they havn't entered.(they pretend they work for real lottery websites)

2)The Scammer asks for your Personal details (be prepared! your inbox is going to be full of emails asking for you personally...and dont get me started on what they are gonna do with your Bank details!)

3)The scammer tells you that you have to pay fees before you can accept the "winnings" (and NO,you cant pay out of the winnings! they dont exist!....silly maga)

4)The scammer manages to con 3 people out of 1000 and gives all his profits to a charity for orphaned goats (he dosn't really...he keeps it ;) )

5)Your inbox gets more mails than [e-mail]
Everything from "You have won anotther sooperdooperlottry" to "CHAN U B A NEXT OF KIN" to "Please join our company,cash our checks,send us the money until your bank realises you are laundering money for us?)

The moral of the story is...If it sounds too good to be true... It probably is
havea look at www.fraudwatchers.org

Answer 2

These elaborately written emails (many done very very poorly) are lame attempts at "phishing": randomly tossing out this ridiculous e-mail to see if the gullible one responds to it, verifying an actual email address.

Once the spammer/scammer has a known working email, they'll zero in on conning the e-address owner.

This is why I NEVER respond to "lottery" e-mails, chain letter e-mails or "prize notification" emails.

Most of these emails get tracked to some lame city in India or other semi-third world country. I've tracked a few to Mexico....and Dr. Mom's prime example appears to have been European sent, where the scammer may be on a light meth buzz when he/she/it wrote the thing.

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.....it IS and is best DELETED!!!!! DO NOT RESPOND TO SUCH EMAILS.

Answer 3

This is spam. I get them all the time. You don't want to carry out what it says. I am not sure how they get any ones e-mail address but they do and they make you believe you have won money. I was checking around and found out they come from different places. When you hit spam, the next time you log in to your e-mail there will be another. Something similar saying you won money and need to claim it.

Answer 4

Any e-mail that asks for you to cash someone else's money and then send money back is a scam. When the check/money order turns out to be fraudulent, you will be held responsible.

Answer 5

Scam, just email Microsoft and ask them if they have a lottery going on in England. Try running a check via ARINWHOIS and you will see.

Answer 6

I only had to read the first couple of sentences to be sure that it's a scam. They send stuff like that out in e-mail all the time... none of it is legitimate.

Answer 7

Scam...


If in doubt next time, yes its a scam.

Next time you're wondering. Yes, its a scam. In fact every time you want to know this question, yes its a scam.

Answer 8

Scam, International lottery's are illegal

Answer 9

Always delete any email asking you for personal details. Be careful.

Answer 10

that sounds like a great way to laundry money which highly illegal