Does Yahoo-Microsoft have a Lottery for 1,000,000 pounds I have received an e-mail saying that I had won.?

I have received the below forwarded e-mail stating that, I am the winner of Yahoo-Microsoft lottery. They are asking me to pay the cost of Transfer amount i.e. GBP 1500=00 in advance, so that they can transfer my winning amount to my local operative bank a/c. Therefore, I request you to help me whether it is a genuine or fake.
Thanks & regards, Prithviraj Mysala,
======================================...
From: yahoo.web23@comcast.net
Subject: Thanks For Contributing To Our Financial Success!!!(You Have Been Granted 拢1,000,000 GBP)
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:57:48 +0000
YAHOO!-MICROSOFT FINANCIAL
PROMOTIONS DEPARTMENT UK.
REF:MICRO-YAHOO7/315116127/27
BATCH No:15/623/UK. Registered Lottery No: 220949.
We hereby announce the official notification of the results of the Yahoo!-Microsoft Financial Promotions held this Month in which your e-mail address emerged winner.Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 883734657492-5319 with serial number 7263-267, batch number

This happens to everyone! Some people get bit!

It is an absolute scam. Completely ignore it. Please. You will get many scams each year, and all come claiming to be part of well known outfits like Yahoo, Microsoft, and so on.

They are mostly called "phishing" scams. They are fishing for whatever information and money they can get out of you. That means they are after, not just your money (GBP 1500), but also - as in this case - your bank account number. How else can they transfer money to your local operative bank account without the account number, eh?

Believe me, give them banking information, and you will never again feel that your bank account is safe. And, sooner or later, the scammers will try to get the money out of it.

Believe me, give them the money they want, and you will never see that GBP 1000000 they say that you won. You will just be out the GBP 1500. Not to mention the above para.

Believe me, give them the information and money that they ask for, and they will try to get more information and money out of you. Give them enough information, especially the personally-identifiable kind, and they will steal your online, as well as, real life identity from you.

They will use the information you give them against you.

So, in answer to your question, it is not a genuine lottery that you have won. There is, in fact, no such lottery. So, yes, it is a fake. The announcement, which I have read along with your question, sounds very official and all - but, that is what the scammers want to present to you - the appearance of something legitimate. That is how they hook you. Please, ignore it. Don't go for the bait!

If you want some real good info about all kinds of phishing scams, just type "phishing scams" into your Google or Yahoo search box. Then click "Go" for Google or "Web Search" for Yahoo. Both will take you to a webpage filled with this kind of info. And, each webpage has about ten related links to it.

Best wishes

It has to be a con! You have to ENTER a competition in order to have a chance of winning it!

Sorry friend but there is no Microsoft, Yahoo or other e-mail lottery, it's a scam do not answer do not give personal information.The following sites give more information
http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/nigeri...
http://www.thescambaiter.com/forum/showt...
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/email-lottery...
.Also If you go to the following site 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