Did anyone receive an e-mail stating you have won an e-mail lotto supported by Microsoft, MSN, Aol?

A 110 percent chance this was a "phishing" email - a bogus crimeware attempting financial information for theft. Happens maybe in the millions daily. SEE

Phishing & Pharming

Definition

Phishing is any attempt—via phone, email, instant messaging (IM), or fax—to procure personally identifiable information with the intent of identity, intellectual property, and—ultimately—financial theft. Most of these attempts are in the guise of a legitimate purpose; in other words, they appear to be valid, but instead are the actions of a criminal enterprise. A typical electronic phishing attack comprises two components: an authentic-looking email and a fraudulent Web page. This renders phishing a particularly insidious and damaging activity, because its perpetrators are adept at appealing to a victim’s sense of legitimacy. HTML-based emails often include company logos, colors, graphics, font styles, and other elements, and cover topics such as account problems, account verifications, security upgrades, and new product or service offerings. Web links included in these emails almost always possess the look and feel of the legitimate sites they copy, making the fraud almost impossible to detect.

Pharming is similar to phishing. Instead of directly soliciting personal or corporate information, however, pharming hijacks legitimate URLs—such as “www.mypayroll.com”—and redirects them, via the domain name server, to fraudulent IP addresses which spoof the originals. These spoofed URLs then collect, via a graphical user interface, protected information without a user ever noticing the difference. Because pharming requires a much higher degree of technical acuity to perform—and because the DNS is very difficult to manipulate—it is far less common than phishing. However, it is still possible that pharming will become an increasing threat in the near future...... FULL:

http://us.trendmicro.com/us/threats/enterprise/thr...

See More threats definition and information links here:

http://www.bluecollarpc.net/threatsfaq.html

No, they never are. It's a con. You haven't won a contest or the lottery. The government doesn't own you back taxes. Not one single Nigerian Prince even knows you exist. They only want your contact and personal information or they want you to send them money for a "processing fee". Mild amusement is the most you can receive from such letters.

You don't get anything for nothing, it's a scam do not answer do not give personal information.The following sites give more information.

www.scambusters.org

www.hoaxbusters.ciac.org

www.scambusters-419.co.uk

www.truthorfiction.com

.Also If you go to the following link you will get some info on ID theft www.identity-theft.org.uk the iinternet is safe enough if you are careful but please answer nothing that you are doubtful about.Good Luck and be careful.

This is number one SCAM. They will ask you to pay money to declare the winning money. It may be $1000 - 2000. and ask your bank account information.

If they say you won 2 million, ask them to send a cheque $10,000 to start believe them.

you know it's a scam because microsoft and msn never give money away and aol doesn't have any money.

No, and they are trying to scam you, so just delete the email and dont click on any link or download any file from that email.

THOUSANDS of people received it, it's SPAM and a SCAM.

DELETE IT

Did you enter it ? NO so you din't WIN IT !

They ask for enough info on you to try to clone you / take over your bank account

Microsoft Doesn't have that

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/phishing...

Yes. Ignore it, it is a scam.

no