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onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
edited May 2007 in A Moving Train
normally i just delete any email that says i won something. but today i got an email from microsoft saying i won $1 million GBP. i didn't delete it for several reasons. first; it's from microsoft; second; all they ask for is an address to send a check to. most scams want personal information.

so my question to the train is:
has anyone else had experience with these types of contests and what was the outcome. do you think they are all scams?
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • chopitdownchopitdown Posts: 2,222
    onelongsong wrote:
    ost scams want personal information.

    so my question to the train is:
    has anyone else had experience with these types of contests and what was the outcome. do you think they are all scams?

    not all of them are scams; i'm actually very good friends with a descendant of a Nigerian King who emailed me out of the blue. He's a nice fellow
    make sure the fortune that you seek...is the fortune that you need
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    chopitdown wrote:
    not all of them are scams; i'm actually very good friends with a descendant of a Nigerian King who emailed me out of the blue. He's a nice fellow

    i get 3 emails a day from nigeria. same thing; he's a king and i'm related somehow and i've been left an inheritance. however; they ask for personal information so i just delete them.
  • floyd1975floyd1975 Posts: 1,350
    onelongsong wrote:
    i get 3 emails a day from nigeria. same thing; he's a king and i'm related somehow and i've been left an inheritance. however; they ask for personal information so i just delete them.

    This may be a wonderful way to entertain yourself. I may have even found this site on this board.

    http://www.419eater.com/
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    zstillings wrote:
    This may be a wonderful way to entertain yourself. I may have even found this site on this board.

    http://www.419eater.com/


    thanks. i checked it out. the problem here is they don't ask any personal information and they don't ask for money. it's not that much money so i'm thinking about blowing it off. but coming from microsoft makes me ask questions.
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    onelongsong wrote:
    normally i just delete any email that says i won something. but today i got an email from microsoft saying i won $1 million GBP. i didn't delete it for several reasons. first; it's from microsoft; second; all they ask for is an address to send a check to. most scams want personal information.

    so my question to the train is:
    has anyone else had experience with these types of contests and what was the outcome. do you think they are all scams?
    Did you enter a Microsoft contest? If you didn't, it's a scam. Also, why would an American company being paying an American contest winner in British pounds?
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • mammasanmammasan Posts: 5,656
    hippiemom wrote:
    Did you enter a Microsoft contest? If you didn't, it's a scam. Also, why would an American company being paying an American contest winner in British pounds?

    I didn't even catch that when I first read th post. That's a dead give away that it's a scam.
    "When one gets in bed with government, one must expect the diseases it spreads." - Ron Paul
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    hippiemom wrote:
    Did you enter a Microsoft contest? If you didn't, it's a scam. Also, why would an American company being paying an American contest winner in British pounds?

    i'm trying to reach microsoft to see where i can forward it to. if someone is using their name i'm sure they'll want to know. i'm sure it's a scam too. i don't enter contests but this isn't a contest per se.
    even if it were real; the governments taxes would get it all.
    i actually hoped several people would say they got it too.
  • KannKann Posts: 1,146
    onelongsong wrote:
    thanks. i checked it out. the problem here is they don't ask any personal information and they don't ask for money. it's not that much money so i'm thinking about blowing it off. but coming from microsoft makes me ask questions.

    1 000 000 pounds is not that much money?
    I can give you my adress if you wish!
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    Kann wrote:
    1 000 000 pounds is not that much money?
    I can give you my adress if you wish!

    the way i see it; by the time the taxes are paid; it'll be closer to 1/4 million. you can't buy much with that these days.
    what i do is compare the money with the aggravation or risk. giving out information could cost me several times that amount.
  • polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    funniest thread to hit the train in ages!!
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    polaris wrote:
    funniest thread to hit the train in ages!!


    yea; i wasn't sure; but wanted to hear other peoples experiences with these scams.
  • polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    onelongsong wrote:
    yea; i wasn't sure; but wanted to hear other peoples experiences with these scams.

    i couldn't stop laughing when you went on about the taxes you would have to pay!! ... :D
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    polaris wrote:
    i couldn't stop laughing when you went on about the taxes you would have to pay!! ... :D

    i worry about taxes every day. actually; i worry about how NOT to have to pay so much.
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    onelongsong wrote:
    the way i see it; by the time the taxes are paid; it'll be closer to 1/4 million. you can't buy much with that these days.
    what i do is compare the money with the aggravation or risk. giving out information could cost me several times that amount.
    But you're forgetting that British pounds are worth almost twice what dollars are worth, so you're talking about close to $500,000 even if the taxes take as much as you say (which they wouldn't). Half a million bucks might not be enough to spend the rest of your life in the penthouse suite at the Ritz, but it should put gas in the car or cover the grocery bill for a while.
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    hippiemom wrote:
    But you're forgetting that British pounds are worth almost twice what dollars are worth, so you're talking about close to $500,000 even if the taxes take as much as you say (which they wouldn't). Half a million bucks might not be enough to spend the rest of your life in the penthouse suite at the Ritz, but it should put gas in the car or cover the grocery bill for a while.


    i believe the exchange rate is 1.87. but i have other factors to figure in. it's a scam so it's all academic but if they can't slip it into my trust; i'm not interested.
  • boxwine_in_hellboxwine_in_hell Posts: 1,263
    chopitdown wrote:
    not all of them are scams; i'm actually very good friends with a descendant of a Nigerian King who emailed me out of the blue. He's a nice fellow

    LMFAO......Yeah and just the other day, our nice government told me that there is all kinds of unclaimed land in my name that I need to claim fast before it's gone.
    one foot in the door
    the other foot in the gutter
    sweet smell that they adore
    I think I'd rather smother
    -The Replacements-
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    boxwine_in_hell wrote:
    LMFAO......Yeah and just the other day, our nice government told me that there is all kinds of unclaimed land in my name that I need to claim fast before it's gone.


    i've known people that have checked that unclaimed money website and actually got paid. it can be anything from a forgotten bank account to an inheritance. if it's really the government it wouldn't hurt to check it out.
  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    Well, you aren't really you anymore, right? I thought you 'disappeared' and assumed the identity of a dead person.
    And why does a milionaire who retired at age 40 need another million? Greed?
    ...
    I say, go for it... I mean, what's the worst that can happen... they steal the identy you stole from someone else?
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    Cosmo wrote:
    Well, you aren't really you anymore, right? I thought you 'disappeared' and assumed the identity of a dead person.
    And why does a milionaire who retired at age 40 need another million? Greed?
    ...
    I say, go for it... I mean, what's the worst that can happen... they steal the identy you stole from someone else?


    you've got your facts wrong. i didn't assume someones idenity; they were looking for someone else and i was identified as that person.

    anyway; if you read the thread; i don't want the money. i was only surprised that it seems to come directly from microsoft.

    other than smoking pot; i've never comitted a crime and i resent the slanderous implication.
  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    onelongsong wrote:
    you've got your facts wrong. i didn't assume someones idenity; they were looking for someone else and i was identified as that person.

    anyway; if you read the thread; i don't want the money. i was only surprised that it seems to come directly from microsoft.

    other than smoking pot; i've never comitted a crime and i resent the slanderous implication.
    ...
    except tax evasion.
    ...
    Just messin' with ya. You past threads lead you right into them.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • boxwine_in_hellboxwine_in_hell Posts: 1,263
    If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Maybe I"m cynical but I'm pretty sure Microsoft isn't going to give you $5 let alone $1 million GBP.
    one foot in the door
    the other foot in the gutter
    sweet smell that they adore
    I think I'd rather smother
    -The Replacements-
  • RolandTD20KdrummerRolandTD20Kdrummer Posts: 13,066
    onelongsong wrote:
    normally i just delete any email that says i won something. but today i got an email from microsoft saying i won $1 million GBP. i didn't delete it for several reasons. first; it's from microsoft; second; all they ask for is an address to send a check to. most scams want personal information.

    so my question to the train is:
    has anyone else had experience with these types of contests and what was the outcome. do you think they are all scams?

    If I had a dollar for every time someone came to me on the job and asked me about the Microsoft emails of this nature I''d probably have a million by now...

    It belongs in your deleted items....think no more about it.... 100% hoax...

    http://www.google.ca/search?q=microsoft+email+hoax&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

    If you right click on the email and go to options...you'll see a bunch of stuff in the "internet headers". Copy and paste that here and I'll tell you exactly where it came from or if it's anywhere near legit...
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
  • PJammin'PJammin' Posts: 1,902
    just remember this, my friend. if it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true. don't fall for those weasels.
    I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    All of my spam is about penis enlargement and single women.

    Something is wrong with google ads profiling... I swear it!
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • boxwine_in_hellboxwine_in_hell Posts: 1,263
    Ahnimus wrote:
    All of my spam is about penis enlargement and single women.

    Something is wrong with google ads profiling... I swear it!

    If you send me your SS # and bank account # there is a long lost relative of your's that has extra money left over from his penis enlargement fundraiser he'd like to give to you and he has 5 hot sisters that want to party with you on their live webcams.
    one foot in the door
    the other foot in the gutter
    sweet smell that they adore
    I think I'd rather smother
    -The Replacements-
  • PJ_SalukiPJ_Saluki Posts: 1,006
    "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld in on TBS. Freaking hilarious!
    "Almost all those politicians took money from Enron, and there they are holding hearings. That's like O.J. Simpson getting in the Rae Carruth jury pool." -- Charles Barkley
  • lucylespianlucylespian Posts: 2,403
    Sorry dude, it's not from MIcrosoft. We get e-mails all teh time from our ISP (supposedly) saying we just have to update our account info. they look real, they aren't.
    WE also get fake paypal ones for teh smae thing,.........your account has been suspended, please re-activeate blah blah blah.........they loook real, guess what ???????????????????????

    Simple issue here is that we believe what we want to believe, it's almost like religion. Hah, see no thread on teh Train is devoid of religion .......




















    evil laugh.......................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Music is not a competetion.
  • onelongsongonelongsong Posts: 3,517
    http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org

    this is the government place to report these things.
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