You buggers didn't remind me to buy Lotto the other day and some other lucky person got my 9.5 million. But that's ok, I forgive you, because now I'm MEGA rich!

Look!

MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTERY KINGDOM.LONDON.
BANK OF ENGLAND/MICROSOFT HOUSE, LONDON.

REF NO: MSW/154S/WL04.
MICRO (LOTTERY) CHIP NO: 9465021

MICROSOFT EMAIL LOTTERY AWARD PROMOTION: UNITED KINGDOM

Finally today, we announce the winners of the MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO WINNINGS PROGRAMS held on 19th, August 2006. Your company or your personal e-mail address, won in the second lottery category 002.

You are therefore been approved for lump sums pay out of £5,500,000.00 FIVE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS. Equivalent to ($10,064,000 USD) Ten Million, Sixty Four Thousand US Dollars. In cash Credited to file REF NO: M154S/WL04 and MICRO (LOTTERY) CHIP NO: 9465021, you are the second lucky winner of the total winners of 10. You all won £5.5, million Pounds each.

All the 10 participants were selected through our Microsoft computer ballot system (MCBS) drawn from each continent, as part of International "E-MAIL" Promotions Program, to promote the use of emails all over the World, and to promote the use of Microsoft Office. Your funds (certified Cashiers cheque) have been insured with your REF NO: M154S/WL04.To claim your winning prize (£5.5, million pounds),you must first contact our Fiduciary/Processing Agent by email, Mr. Kenneth Brown. Who is our accredited representative for the Processing and remittance of your prize money to you.You can reach him on:

The Claims Processor:
Name: Mrs. Florence Walter
E-mail: mrsflorencewalter@yahoo.co.uk

...there's something doesn't look right here....

can you spot it?
.
.
.
It's not because it was sent to me, either.

Surely Microsoft don't use free server email addresses? Mind you, I suppose Hotmail ones would be appropriate... it's not s_p_a_m, is it??

[\deflate]

But wait, there's a beautiful rider at the end of it;


WARNING!!! WARNING!!! WARNING!!!

ANY MAIL RECEIVED OF THIS SUCH WITH ANY OTHER TRADE MARK OR ADDRESS SHOULD BE FOWARDED TO YOUR CLAIMS AGENT IMMEDIATELY; THIS WILL HELP US TO FIGHT SCAM AND LOTTERY IMPOSTERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANTICIPATED CO-OPERATION.


Oh the Irony, I mean really....

Reading: Puppy Live Linux release notes
Hauraki's playing: Cream - Strange Brew

"Strange brew, strange brew, strange brew, strange brew.
Strange brew -- kill whats inside of you." - Cream

PS notice careful inclusion of text-form email address, which the spammers bots will pick up... and then the spammers can spam the spammers. It's like Christmas and Easter all rolled into one - but not for the providers who allow their bandwidth to disseminate this trash.

PPS Look! Now I can log into my bank account to get the money from my winnings!


Dear Customer,
PNC Online Banking, is here by announcing the New Security Upgrade.
We've upgraded our new SSL servers to serve our customers for
a better and secure banking service,against any fraudulent activities. Due to
this recent upgrade, you are requested to update your account information by
following the reference below.

Reference*
http://www.pnc.com/update.asp?ID=3b89db2a6001ec93328d21e59a011b0a 25a [links to update22.web.aplus.net/PNC/index.html] Regards Customers Service PNC Bank Plc

This one is a phishing email, in case you didn't know. The link takes one to a website that is not the same as the text would have one believe, where a fake front page for that organisation will be waiting to record and store, when one logs on, all one's banking details for future fiscal and fiduciary fraud.

Should one be naive enough to open a direct link in an email purportedly from a bank or credit company one has accounts with.

The first address isn't a real page, but go ahead and use that second link - then put in bogus user id and password - it will accept what you put in and redirect you to the REAL site's privacy policy page.

Such is life on the Internet; spammers and liars and rip off merchants abound. Doesn't it make one feel so proud of one's fellow man?