I received this email. Is this for real?

Question

MICROSOFT AWARD PROMOTION
PROMOTIONS/PRIZE AWARD
NOTIFICATION DEPARTMENT
20 Craven Park, Harlesden
London NW10
United Kingdom
Ref: BTD/968/05
Batch: 409978E
TEL: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Date: 4th December, 2006.


Attn: Winner,
MICROSOFT WINNING NOTIFICATION



The prestigious Microsoft and all has set out and successfully organized a Sweepstakes marking the Mid year 2006 anniversary we rolled out over £5,000.000.00 (Five Million Great Britain Pounds) for our end of year Anniversary Draws. Participants for the draws were randomly selected
and drawn from a wide range of web hosts which we enjoy their patronage.
The selection was made through a computer draw system attaching personalized email addresses to ticket numbers.

Your email address as indicated was drawn and attached to ticket number 008795727498 with serial numbers BTD/9080648302/06 and drew the lucky
numbers 14-21-25-39-40-47(20) which subsequently won you £500,000.00 (Fi

Answer 1

Emails from someone you don't know is already a suspect for spam. rule 101 is never open emails from someone you don't know.

Answer 2

Since my job is to detect and prevent fraud at one of the largest banks in United States, I can assure you this is the typical fraud that only financially benefits the sender of the email (the fraudster or swindler).

The goal of the email is to entice you by having you wire monies from your bank account or cash a check and send the monies to the senders account (most ofter an account overseas).

You will be sent an official looking check, and asked to cash the check, wiring the monies to a bank account over seas. Days or weeks later the check (that appeared to look so real) is either counterfeit, stolen, or altered (otherwise a fraud check).

Stay away from this supposed get rich scheme. It will cost you thousands of dollars rather than enrich you.

Answer 3

Are you new to the world of computers?

There are many @#$$^%^ out there looking to get your personal information. You should learn right now that nothing is free and that most legitimate concerns will not ask for your passwords, Social Security number, credit card number, etc. over the net.

Best rule of thumb is when on the net, do not put anything out there you do not want published for all the world to see.

Answer 4

This sounds like phishing. People don't give away money without benefit to themselves. They would use such a contest for promotional purposes, in which case you would already have know about it. Remember, if you wouldn't trust someone off the street saying it, don't believe it in a random e-mail. You will wind up losing money, your privacy, maybe even wind up facing identity theft. Do not respond to this e-mail for your own good.

Answer 5

No, I got the exact same one 2 months ago. they are trying to get you to send them money supposedly to pay the advance taxes on your winnings, which of course are bogus. If you had won a lottery, they would first, tell you by registered mail, and second never ask you for money up front. the taxes would be taken off the cheque they sent you. andf third, microsoft would never give money away to random strangers, they have too many greedy stockholders who would kill someone if they did

Answer 6

I even have considered one of those programmes on my workstation, it works fantastic, not something dodgy approximately it. the only element is that all of the channels are rubbish, you dont get the coolest programmes in any respect. You get all of the unusual low funds television stations and the hill billy ones form the states. actually thousands to compliment between

Answer 7

That old scam has been going around since I first got on the internet....in 1998!

Answer 8

Definitely not plausible at all...complete B.S.

Just another email scam.

Answer 9

What is the return address and are there any links on the email?

Answer 10

No doubt... Its a SCAM.. Just Click the SPAM Button...