Lottery / Sweepstakes Scam - "2015 Microsoft Easter Promotion"

Lottery   Sweepstakes Scam - 2015 Microsoft Easter Promotion

The email message below which claims that the recipients are winners of the Microsoft 2015 Easter Promotion, is a scam. There is no Microsoft lottery, sweepstakes or promotion that is awarding thousands of dollars to online users. So, the recipients of email messages that claim that they are winners of a Microsoft, Hotmail, Outlook or Live lottery, sweepstakes or promotion, should never follow the instructions in them.

Every month, thousands of these email messages are sent out by scammers to trick their potential victims into stealing their personal information and sending money.

Remember, never send your personal information to anyone in an email message or send money to someone who contacted you via email message.

The Fake Microsoft Lottery / Sweepstakes Email Message

Dear esteemed winner, Please find attached file confirming your email address as one of Microsoft Easter winners for 2015 annual promotion. Sincerely. Owen Sagness General Manager, Online Division, UK Text of attached .pdf MICROSOFT® CORPORATIONS MICROSOFT EASTER PROMOTION.

It is obvious that this notification will come to you as a surprise but please find time to read it carefully as we congratulate you over your success in the following official publication of results of the E-mail electronic online Sweepstakes 2014/2015 organized by Microsoft, in conjunction with the foundation for the promotion of software products, (F.S.P) held this 2015,in the Microsoft Head Quarters London United Kingdom, where your email address emerged as one of the online Winning emails in the 3rd category and therefore attracted a cash award of £950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds Sterling) Our winners are arranged into four categories with different winning prizes accordingly in each category.

They are arranged in this format below:

CATEGORY OF MICROSOFT WINNERS;

1st. £3.500.000.00 GBP

2nd. £2.100.000.00 GBP

3rd. £950,000.00 GBP

4th. £570,000.00 GBP

We write to officially notify you of this award and to advise you to contact the processing office immediately upon receipt of this message for more information concerning the verification, processing and eventual payment of the above prize to you. It is important to note that your award information was released with the following particulars attached to it.

(1). Award Numbers: UK/56/2015

(2). Email Bonus Numbers: MSLP-134632

(3). Batch Numbers: MSOFT/884/8PDH

(4). Reference Numbers: GB/54/044/07/MSOFT

(5). Serial Numbers: MSOFT/2015/NLP4473

Microsoft Verification Requirements

(1). Full Name:

(2). Address:

(3). Nationality/Gender:

(4). Age:

(5). Occupation:

(6). Phone:

(7). Country:

(8). How do you feel as a Microsoft Winner:

(9). Ever Won an Online Award or Bonus:

(10). Winning Email Address:

To file for your claim, Please contact your Microsoft GB Manager for claim of your winning within Twenty-nine working days of this winning notification. Winnings that are not validated within Twenty-nine working days of winning notification are termed void as unclaimed funds will be liquidated by the Microsoft Promotion Company. You are required to mention the above particulars of your award in every correspondence to enable the Manager validate your winnings.

NOTE: (1).to fill the claims processing form if you are not used to pdf files, you print it out and fill it or simply copy the entire notification letter to either Microsoft Word or Notepad for easy access.

(2). Do not tell people about your Price Award until your money is successfully handed over to you to avoid disqualification that may arise from double claim. You may also receive similar e-mails from people portraying to be other Organizations or Microsoft Corporation. This is solely to collect your personal information from you and lay claim over your notification letter that was sent to you by us, Microsoft shall not be held responsible for any loss of fund arising from the above mentioned.

Owen Sagness

General Manager, Online Division, UK

E-mail: microsoftteam123@163.com Telephone:

The Microsoft Internet E-mail lottery Awards is sponsored by our CEO/Chairman, Satya Nadella and a consortium of software promotion companies like Intel Group,Acer,H P,Toshiba,Pisem,Aol, Dell Computers and other International Companies. As Satya Nadella becomes the third CEO of Microsoft, he brings a relentless drive for innovation and a spirit of collaboration to his new role. He joined Microsoft 22 years ago because he saw how clearly Microsoft empowers people to do magical things and ultimately make the world a better place. Many companies, he says, “aspire to change the world. But very few have all the elements required: talent, resources and perseverance. Microsoft has proven that it has all three in abundance.”

The Microsoft internet E-mail draw is held periodically and is organized to encourage the use of the Internet and promote computer literacy worldwide, Once again on behalf of Staffs & Members of Microsoft GB Board Commission Congratulations.

Sincerely,

Michel Van Der Bel

Managing Director,

Microsoft UK and Vice President, Microsoft International

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Lottery / Sweepstakes Scam - "2015 Microsoft Easter Promotion"