and another scam!

[NickStone]

Found another scam in my spam folder, this one claims that I have won an amount from Microsoft National Lottery. I didn't even know I had entered and I don't use any Microsoft products.

Heres the full email scam...

TICKET NO: 86942857897
REF NO: ML/568778M1/95
BATCH NO: 045/874/ML10

FINAL NOTIFICATION

We are pleased to inform you of the final announcement today, 29th of MAY
2012 of winners of the MICROSOFT ON-LINE PROMO PRO-GRAMME, held onthe 28th
of MAY, 2012.

You have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 1.5 Million GBP
(One Million Five Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling) in cash credited to
file MNL/26345678038/10.This is from a total cash prize of 1.5 Million GBP
(One Million Five Hundred Thousand Pound Sterling) shared amongst the
first ten (10) lucky winners in This category i.e. Match 5 plus bonus.

To file for your claim, please contact our claims agent:

Dr. Barry Gate
Email: msoftgame@aol.co.uk
Provide him with the information below:

1. Full Name:
2. Full Address:
3. Marital Status:
4. Occupation:
5. Age:
6. Sex:
7. Nationality:
8. Country of Residence:
9. Telephone Number:

For due processing and remittance of your prize money. Congratulations
Once more from all members and staffs of this program. Thank you for being
part of our on-line promotional lottery program.

Yours Truly,
Online Coordinator for the Microsoft National Lottery.

[rms]

It's usually rich uncle from Nigeria who passed recently...

[SteveRiley]

Variants of this one have been floating around for years.

I used to give "security-101" talks at places like community and retirement centers. Invariably, someone would mention one of these email scams, and in most cases the person asking was teetering on the edge of being duped. I would calmly ask, "Are you personal friends with any relative or spouse of a deceased African dictator?" The person would go all foggy for a moment, and then sputter, "Ah, well, no, actually..." My response then was "So why do you think that you, personally, out of seven billion other humans on this planet, would receive this notice?" That would be followed by "Ah-hahs!" all around the room.

Security. Boring unless it's personal.

[tek_heretik]

I have received phishing scam emails for a major bank I don't even have an account with, lol. The stupidity is endless. Then there is the undelivered postal package or UPS/Fedex scam. Good think I'm not a dumbass, at least I don't think I'm one, lol.

Edit: I find if you have to give an email address to a shady/sleazy website, that's when this kind of garbage starts showing up, I used my Yahoo email at kickass torrents, aka kat.ph and the porn junk just keeps on coming.

[woodsmoke]

ummmm Microsoft with a million pound payout and they use an AOL account! lol

hmmmm WAIT A SEC.....Microsofty DID buy a bunch of AOL patents......

HEY....this just MIGHT be the real deal!!

woodsmoke

[Detonate]

Almost every time I post something on Craig's list to sell, I get one of those scams that the sender says he will send me a certified check for my asking price plus enough extra to cover shipping costs, and I am to give the extra to his agent who will come to collect the item and ship it to him. I always respond to these by telling the sender to have his agent show up with cash and I will give him the item. I never hear back from them.

[NickStone]

deleted

[tek_heretik]

Then there was (not sure if it's still there) the nasty porn spam bot that infested the hotmail server, I was getting porn spam from hotmail accounts that I know for a fact were closed, I PHONED Microsoft and told them I could sue THEM, lol, if the porn spam from closed accounts didn't stop.

Edit: It eventually did stop...eventually, took months.

[rms]

I PHONED Microsoft and told them I could sue THEM, lol, if the porn spam from closed accounts didn't stop.

Man, what could you possibly hold against porn spam?

[tek_heretik]

Man, what could you possibly hold against porn spam?

'Good' porn spam, nothing, spam that only wants money or give you a virus, everything.

[SteveRiley]

Man, what could you possibly hold against porn spam?

Well, when you hold porn spam, eventually the heat from your hands causes your seductively-placed spam vixens to congeal into an unrecognizable blob. Better to just position your porn spam on the kitchen counter and look at it from a distance.

[rms]

[sumski]

Just got this:

hello my dear,
My name is rejoice, I got your Email address during my searching and I become interested to contact you, because,
from my own little understanding i believe that love or friendship makes the world go around,I want to share life experience and culture with you,I do hope by the end of this letter you will bring smile to my face.i believe you will have a little time for me.i have something VERY important to tell you.It's never my desire to remain what I am now,but struggling to become what i am.
Give my love to your family and lots of love to you too.
Stay in touch and do write to me,
Take care
your new friend
Rejoice.