A New Email Rip-Off Message

[Quasi]

Well, these things seem never ending.

One thing 7 years in I.T. has taught me is that you don't reply to them. I'm posting most of the email here as a warning to others. I loved the email address on it:

microsoftlottery@netscape.net

MICROSOFT EMAIL/INTERNET INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY.
FROM: INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION/PRIZE AWARD DEPT.

Attn: Winner,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Microsoft Email/Internet International Lottery programs held on the 09th of Febuary 2005.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Due to mix up of some names and numbers, your funds has been deposited and covered with insurance bond policy in Finance/Insurance company(AXA SEGUROS). We ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims has been processed and your money remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some participants.

HOW WAS IT SELECTED/PLAYED?

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 100,000 company and 50,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world, so luckily for you, your E-mail address attached to ticket number 21415966-629 with lucky main number 06 13 18 22 49 drew lucky star numbers 01 07, which consequently won in the 2nd category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of €500,000.00. (Five Hundred Thousand Euro).

This lottery was promoted and sponsored by Bill Gates, President of Microsoft, the world's largest software company inorder to enhance and promote the use of Internet Explorer Users and microsoft-wares around the globe. This promotional program takes place every three year. We hope with part of your winning you will take part in our next Lottery Program, 50 Million Euro International lottery.

To claim your funds, please do contact the Axa Seguros S.A with the contact details below for the processing/concluding of your funds:

DR. ZACK PETERS (AXA SEGUROS S.A).

Email: axaseguros_sa@email.com OR zackpeteraxaseguros@yahoo.es


Remember, all winnings must be claimed not later than 09th of April 2005. After this date all unclaimed funds will be included in the next stake. Please note in order to avoid unnecessary delays and complications please remember to quote your REFERENCE NUMBER and BATCH NUMBER in all correspondence to Axa Seguros S.A along with your FULL NAMES. Furthermore, should there be any change of address do inform our agent as soon as possible.

Congratulations once more from our members of staff and thank you for being part of our promotion program. Note: Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Sarah Perez Gonzalez.
Lottery Coordinator.

NOTE. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE, CONTACT AXA SEGUROS S.A FOR YOUR CLAIM.

[MO]

And ppl fall for this?

[loxxr6]

These emails are always so unbelievable...

[Danny]

Because DOctor Whatsisface really would have a yahoo email address as well .......

[Quasi]

Yeah I liked that bit too.

[mad machs]

not exactly the same type of scam involved but this guy knows how to deal with them & in some case scam money from the scammers!

http://www.419eater.com/html/letters.htm

[Rodp]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

And ppl fall for this?

Sadly people do, which is why it's so common.

If you can craft an official looking email and attach a well known iconic name to it, you'll always get enough people who don't know any better caught in the net.

I work for one of the largest IT companies who apparently has the largest Exchange network in the world, and everytime a replicating email virus that copies your address book and spams them, it brings out network to its knees for a good week. It's shocking to see colleagues reading an email with the heading I LOVE YOU and then clicking on an associated link!! Even they should know better!

While it's not quite the same as phishing, it does capture the more gullible or inexperienced among us.

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Originally Posted by John McMaster

And ppl fall for this?

Sadly, yes. "Hey wow, I never win anything, and if Bill Gates is involved, it must be legit..."

While it might seem obvious to most of us, some people just aren't cynical enough to realise bullsh!t when they read it, often these are the same people who click on those ads which are made to look like a Windows XP dialog with "Warning: Spyware has been detected on your computer, click OK to have us remove it for you", or just click Yes on any dialog boxes that come up without reading what it says whilst saying "Yes, yes yes, just go away"...

[masters24]

Originally Posted by Quasi

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Sarah Perez Gonzalez.
Lottery Coordinator.

Yep, She sounds like a mexican blonde

[Quasi]

Originally Posted by masters24

Yep, She sounds like a mexican blonde

Wouldn't that be more like:

Mrs. Bambi Perez Gonzalez.
Lottery Coordinator.

[Casper]

I'm so tempted to respond to one of these emails via a hotmail account one day. Then just screw with them until I'm bored. Then come back once a month and just lead them on. Act like a complete hillbilly... false name, address, country, the works. I'd just love to see how far they are willing to go.
Maybe end it with "Sorry, I''m writing this from the Arizona State Prison, awaiting my murder trial. It wasnt my fault, the guy stole my wallet so I grabbed him and **insert the most gruesome death imaginable here ****!! I hate being stolen from.... can we still proceed with the transaction?" :

[loxxr6]

I'm so tempted to respond to one of these emails via a hotmail account one day. Then just screw with them until I'm bored. Then come back once a month and just lead them on. Act like a complete hillbilly... false name, address, country, the works. I'd just love to see how far they are willing to go.
Maybe end it with "Sorry, I''m writing this from the Arizona State Prison, awaiting my murder trial. It wasnt my fault, the guy stole my wallet so I grabbed him and **insert the most gruesome death imaginable here ****!! I hate being stolen from.... can we still proceed with the transaction?"

There's a guy with his own web site whotricks these email scammers into doing really dumb things to prove they're real, like baking a cake with the scammers name on them and sending him a photo, or arranging a meeting with the scammer and getting them to book a hotel room (with a paid receipt) for him.

Its called....212...313 scams or something....

Most of the scammers he gets emails from, I think are based in South Africa.

[Quasi]

I believe 'Mad Machs' pegged that one:

http://www.419eater.com/html/letters.htm

[EB-maen]

the very fact that bill gates is giving away money is enough to make it unbelievable

[RSgerry]

grammar and spelling mistakes are always a give away if they claim to represent a major national or international company. as if microsoft would let that letter out of their company.

i work in a credit union and one of the staff is trying really hard to cinvince a customer NOT to send $25000 to one of these people so he can claim his $500,000. this poor sucker really believes that he has won and the bloke at work is struggling to get through to him that money just doesnt get given away like this.

[MO]

Originally Posted by RSgerry

grammar and spelling mistakes are always a give away if they claim to represent a major national or international company. as if microsoft would let that letter out of their company.

i work in a credit union and one of the staff is trying really hard to cinvince a customer NOT to send $25000 to one of these people so he can claim his $500,000. this poor sucker really believes that he has one and the bloke at work is struggling to get through to him that money just doesnt get given away like this.

What have you got to do to convince the poor sod he's being ripped off,hit him over the head with a lump of 4x2.
Whatever you've got to do...stop him.
You can bet that if he does send the dollars,he'll blame you guy's for being ripped.
Good luck!

[Hawk]

But it is conducted every three year!

Every three year!!!

It must be true.

[bindi]

Originally Posted by Rodp

I work for one of the largest IT companies who apparently has the largest Exchange network in the world, and everytime a replicating email virus that copies your address book and spams them, it brings out network to its knees for a good week. It's shocking to see colleagues reading an email with the heading I LOVE YOU and then clicking on an associated link!! Even they should know better!

Yeah, IT God (tm), my partner, has come home and ranted about viruses killing the entire company because ppl who should know better opened the buggering email attachment

I'll say it before, and I'll say it again. The governments of the world need to officially issue hackers with girlfriends... imagine if Bill Gates had got a bit of this :

[Kapn_Kiwi]

Wow, Microsoft sending emails from an @netscape account. Sounds legit to me.

[Psycho Chicken]

Bill Gates giving out Euros?