Is this spam?

4youreyes · 02-06-2009, 07:41 PM

I received this e-mail today from microsoft award lottery :This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of five hundred thousand pounds. Anyone else get one of these today There was a link to click onto.Which I did not thanks Wendy

Fledchen · 02-06-2009, 07:43 PM

This is way off-topic, but yes, it was spam.

I suggest reading through the articles on this site to familiarize yourself with internet-based scams: http://snopes.com/fraud/phishing/phishing.asp

ShortNCuddlyAm · 02-06-2009, 07:45 PM

That sounds distinctly like spam.

Mark the e-mail as junk, and delete it.

Madam Broshkina · 02-06-2009, 07:46 PM

It is not spam. It is a phishing attempt. If you clicked on the link they would have asked your for your bank account information so they can deposit your winnings into. Of course instead of making a deposit they will be taking your money out.

dreams · 02-06-2009, 07:47 PM

I received one from Yahoo that said the same thing and reported it to them. They replied that it was not from them and that it was a scam. They had me send expanded "from" info to them so they could check it out.

RickyMaveety · 02-06-2009, 07:47 PM

If you google "microsoft award lottery" you will see that it is a type of 419 fraud that has been going around for a few years now.

What they try to do is make you pay some sort of processing "fee" in order to claim your winnings.

It's a scam. Clicking on the link might or might not get you malware, but there is no point in communicating with these people since they just want to rip you off.

4youreyes · 02-06-2009, 08:01 PM

Sorry for being of topic I received these after I download four e-books from Fictionwise .It just very odd timing .

RWood · 02-06-2009, 08:28 PM

I do not think there is any connection between Fictionwise and the email. Just chance timing. Many people at MobileRead have used Fictionwise without receiving that email.

HarryT · 02-07-2009, 06:37 AM

The best thing to do if you receive a message like this is to do a Google search on the text of the message. Had you done so you would have found that this is a very well-known 419 scam.

Bromoney · 02-07-2009, 11:22 AM

lottery=automatic spam

02-06-2009, 07:41 PM	#1
4youreyes Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 126 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Amish country in upstate New york Device: kindle	Is this spam? I received this e-mail today from microsoft award lottery :This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of five hundred thousand pounds. Anyone else get one of these today There was a link to click onto.Which I did not thanks Wendy

02-06-2009, 07:43 PM	#2
Fledchen Guru Posts: 663 Karma: 84658 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Minnesota, USA Device: PB360+, Sony950, VR Stream, iPod Touch, iPad	This is way off-topic, but yes, it was spam. I suggest reading through the articles on this site to familiarize yourself with internet-based scams: http://snopes.com/fraud/phishing/phishing.asp

02-06-2009, 07:45 PM	#3
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	That sounds distinctly like spam. Mark the e-mail as junk, and delete it.

02-06-2009, 07:46 PM	#4
Madam Broshkina Manic Do Fuse Posts: 2,312 Karma: 3325462 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony 500, 505, 350, Kindle 3, DXG, nook, Irex DR800SG, iPad	It is not spam. It is a phishing attempt. If you clicked on the link they would have asked your for your bank account information so they can deposit your winnings into. Of course instead of making a deposit they will be taking your money out.

02-06-2009, 07:47 PM	#5
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,112 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	I received one from Yahoo that said the same thing and reported it to them. They replied that it was not from them and that it was a scam. They had me send expanded "from" info to them so they could check it out.

02-06-2009, 07:47 PM	#6
RickyMaveety Holy S**T!!! Posts: 5,213 Karma: 108401 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: San Diego, California!! Device: Kindle and iPad	If you google "microsoft award lottery" you will see that it is a type of 419 fraud that has been going around for a few years now. What they try to do is make you pay some sort of processing "fee" in order to claim your winnings. It's a scam. Clicking on the link might or might not get you malware, but there is no point in communicating with these people since they just want to rip you off.

02-06-2009, 08:01 PM	#7
4youreyes Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 126 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Amish country in upstate New york Device: kindle	Sorry for being of topic I received these after I download four e-books from Fictionwise .It just very odd timing .

02-06-2009, 08:28 PM	#8
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I do not think there is any connection between Fictionwise and the email. Just chance timing. Many people at MobileRead have used Fictionwise without receiving that email.

02-07-2009, 06:37 AM	#9
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The best thing to do if you receive a message like this is to do a Google search on the text of the message. Had you done so you would have found that this is a very well-known 419 scam.

02-07-2009, 11:22 AM	#10
Bromoney Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none	lottery=automatic spam