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Bogus Microsoft sweepstakes emails

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Over the past month I've received at least three enquiries from people asking about the legitimacy of emails claiming the recipients have won large amounts of money in a Microsoft sweepstakes or lottery -- often 500,000 British pounds. This is an easy question to answer: they're fake.

Recently, someone forwarded me the email. Let's examine some of its characteristics.

  • The sending address is microsoft.co.uk-00@adelphia.net. The address was a hidden hyperlink. Legitimate emails you receive from us almost always come from @microsoft.com domain; occasionally a marketing partner will use their own domain -- this we're trying to eliminate. No legitimate mail from us would use an ISP's domain: Adelphia is a cable TV company that's been split up and sold to Time Warner and Comcast. Furthermore, the email has the appearance coming from Microosft UK, so using an American domain seems odd.
  • The subject line is "YOU WON (£500,000.00GBP)! Microsoft congratulates you!" Official communications from us typically DON'T SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS. Also, it's incorrect to use both a currency symbol and the three-letter currency name. This like saying "$1,000USD." It's either "$1,000" or "1,000USD," but not both. And why is the amount in parentheses? Doesn't that indicate (on balance sheets, anyway) that the number is negative? One could interpret the subject line this way: "Congratulations! You've won the privilege of sending 500,000 pounds to Microsoft! Warm up your check book!"
  • The email insists that you contact Mr. Peter Garry, Microsoft's "fiduciary agent." There are some capitalization errors in this particular sentence.
  • There are several official-looking reference numbers, file numbers, and batch numbers in the email -- none of which would be useful information to the recipient.

Folks, were we to ever run a sweepstakes where we're giving away the equivalent of a million dollars, it's safe to say that we wouldn't use email to send winning notifications. Please tell your friends and neighbors that stuff like this is fake.

Oh, in case you're curious, do a search on the winning prize number: 14-21-25-40-40-47(21). Looks like hundreds, maybe thousands, of people have all coincidentally guessed the exact same number!

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Karen-- we usually find out about these the same time everyone else does. But if you'd like, you can send it as an attachment (don't forward) to secure@microsoft.com.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 06, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    October 12, 2007
    Do you know a e-mail to which I can send the e-mail of the Microsoft Sweepstake (Microsoft and AOL) I received today? Yesterday I received another Microsoft Sweepstake e-mail (Microsoft and AOL). I can´t do much as an individual, but I think if I send these e-mails to a somebody that can stop this (because the contain names and e-mail addresses), I will contribute in something. Maybe you can help me in the right direction. Txs

  • Anonymous
    October 14, 2007
    I received the same e-mail same #'s . What I want to know is can Microsoft or the "Web Police" catch these scam artists and if so can they be sued say a class action lawsuit? Has this been done yet? If not why not! Thank You Randal Mazzola randalmazzola@sbcglobal.net

  • Anonymous
    October 29, 2007
    I received an Email from the .U.K. about A winning microsoft aol sweepstakes. I supposedly won one and half million pounds and needed to claim it within 10 days. I am sure it is phoney.

  • Anonymous
    October 28, 2008
    i've just recieved the same message and i reply the  they've sent me another message claiming that the prize has transferred to citibank plc in london and they want me to send them my bank name and stuff like that so what should i do ? go on with'em or just stop ! but it seems like a good shot if is it true !! please if anyone knows more about this reply my comment see ya !

  • Anonymous
    December 29, 2008
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 19, 2009
    The problem with the losers who send out these emails is that they are transient and really can't be caught....it's so sad....but hey!  I'm a winner of the sweepstakes too....HAHA  delete...delete...delete!!

  • Anonymous
    March 18, 2009
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    April 08, 2009
    The comment has been removed