Got this one yesterday:

[EMAIL START]

Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 17:11:32 -0600
From: "BMW UK LOTTERY"
Subject: Esteemed Winner!!

Esteemed Winner!!

This is to notify you that your email address has won the 2008 BMW
Sponsored
National Uk Lottery.
By this You have won the total cash prize of two million British Pounds
(2,000,000.00 GBP).

YOUR WINNING DETAILS
Ref No: CHN/2551256007/11
Batch No: 14/0017/IPD
serial No: GMLA2-003
Ticket No: 12033
Lucky No: 425448/7785

To file for claim please fill and return the form below stating your
aforementioned references.
1.Name:
2.Address:
3.Marital Status:
4.Occupation:
5.Age:
6.Sex:
7.Nationality:
8.Country Of Residence:
9.Telephone Number:
10.Fax Number:

To begin your claim, do file for the release of your winning by
contacting our
accredited agent:
NAME:David Cole
Email:bmwlottery@bmwlottery.net-info.org.uk
TELL:+44 704 570 8366
Fax:+448704711080.

Congratulations once more and thank you for being part of our
promotional
program.Note:
Anybody under the age of 18 is automatically disqualified.

Yours Faithfully
Mrs.Thessy Van Vart
Online Co-Ordinator

[EMAIL END]

I'm so lucky…

Frustrated with Google AdWords? You might turn to Yahoo, where the "ad quality" standards are less stringent. But it costs $30 to sign up. So who else is there…? Microsoft! Many have said that they've got softer standards, and some of the lowest costs per click around! And adCenter only requires $5 to sign up. Plus, since they're the new kids on the block, they've got codes all over the internet for free clicks!

You may have seen an offer for a $25 credit.

You may have seen one for $50.

I've got one for $150.

I did a quick search, and came upon this page:

https://partner.microsoft.com/US/40044077

Trying to visit it, both IE and Firefox warn that it may not be a trustworthy site, as something seems to be wrong with its certificate. However, it's part of Microsoft.com, so I found it trustworthy enough to visit. I haven't noticed any problems.

Once there, a visitor is presented with a promotional offer of $150 in free adCenter credit for the first 5000 Microsoft Partners to sign up. From what I can tell, a Microsoft Partner is a special VIP of sorts. I'm not quite clear on the requirements.

However…

The page says the first 5,000 people to sign up for adCenter using the promotional code MSPP-150QL-08 by June 30, 2008 will receive $150 in free adCenter credit, and 60 days of QuickLaunch campaign support, in which an expert helps you optimize your PPC campaign for free.

To continue with QuickLaunch after 60 days, you must be spending at least $30 per day.

Participation in QuickLaunch is optional.

To continue with adCenter after 90 days, you must pay for all subsequent clicks. After 90 days, your $150 credit expires.

Minimum cost per click (CPC) is $0.05.

Unraveling The Mystery

"Be among the first 5,000 partners to sign up…"

What do you have to do to be a partner?

"This offer is valid only for new advertisers opening a new account with Microsoft adCenter."

So that's anybody, right?

"Promotional credit good only for residents in the 50 United States and Washington, D.C."

Ok, so anyone new, in America.

Maybe the trick is to go through their special sign up link. And if that doesn't work, here's the regular link.

From what I've heard, when you sign up and enter the promotional code, adCenter will make no mention of your free $150 credit. However, it should appear under the Billing Activity section of Accounts & Billing in your adCenter user area. Also, this should work even if you don't have a Microsoft Partner account.

Randy Walker mentioned how this Microsoft Partner Program $150 promotion is part of the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Certification program. He says you can sign up through the regular link, and using the code you should get the credit, so I think this will work for anybody. Let me know if you try it. Good luck!

Wow, these guys are persistent! I got a message saying "VERIFY" on Monday, January 28. Yesterday, five days later, I received the "FINAL NOTICE." I can't believe how far they're willing to take the scam. It's just too bad the original owners of bsaenz@purdue.edu and bnesbitt@purdue.edu fell for it.

Here's the first email:

Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:17:36 -0500
From: "EDU ACCOUNT UPGRADE TEAM"
Subject: VERIFY YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT NOW

VERIFY YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT NOW

Dear Email Account Owner,This message is from our educational messaging
center
to all our email
account owners. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail
account
center. We are deleting all our email accounts to create more space for
new
accounts.

To prevent your account from closing you will have to update it below
so that we will know that it's a presently used account.

CONFIRM YOUR EMAIL IDENTITY BELOW

Email Address : ………. …..
EMAIL Password : …………….
Date of Birth : ……………..
Country or Territory : ……….

Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his or her account
within Seven days of receiving this warning will lose his or her
account
permanently.

Thank you for using our edu email!
Warning Code:VX2G99AAJ
Thanks,
Account Upgrade Team

[END EMAIL]

And the second:

Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2008 23:17:58 -0500
From: "EDU ACCOUNT UPGRADE TEAM"
Subject: FINAL VERIFICATION OF YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT

VERIFY YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT NOW

Dear Email Account Owner,

This message is from educational messaging center to all our email
account owners. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail
account
center. We are deleting all our edu email accounts to create more space
for new
accounts.

To prevent your edu account from closing you will have to update it
below
so that we will know that it's a presently used account.

We have been sending this notice to all our email account owners and
this is
the last notice/verification exercise.

CONFIRM YOUR EMAIL IDENTITY BELOW

Email Username : ………. …..
EMAIL Password : …………….
Date of Birth : ……………..
Country or Territory : ……….

Warning!!! Account owner that refuses to update his or her account
within Seven days of receiving this warning will lose his or her
account
permanently.

Thank you for using edu!
Warning Code:VX2G99AAJ
Thanks,
Edu Account Upgrade Team

[END EMAIL]

You'd think the warning code for a final notice would be different from the initial message, but nooo!

Continuing with the recent theme of spam, here's another which I got today:

From: "Skye Bank Nig Plc"
Subject: ATTN: BENEFICIARY
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2008 11:19:10 +0200

ATTN: BENEFICIARY
MR. OBI DODO
UNITED NATIONS CRIME PREVENTION UNIT,
AFRICA CHAPTER.

I am delighted to inform you that the UNITED NATION CRIME PREVENTION
UNIT Management through the Office of the SKYE BANK GOVERNOR and other
bank directors have decided to call back all approved fund Payment
through offshore payment centers to the bank treasury following Interception
of the UNITED NATION CRIME PREVENTION UNIT AND WORLD BANK and have
concluded arrangements to pay you the sum of US$10.5m by cash through the
Diplomatic Agents who will bring the cash in a Machine sealed
consignment to you in the United States as my bank has temporarily stopped
further payment via wire transfer.

In this regards we are going to send your inheritance/contract payment
to you via our accredited Diplomatic Agent/shipping Company and we have
secured every needed document to cover the money. Note: The money is
coming on 2 security proof box. The box are sealed with synthetic nylon
seal and padded with machine. Please you don’t have to worry for
anything, as the Transaction is 100% risk free. The Boxes are coming with A
Diplomatic agent who will accompany the boxes to your house address.

Kindly re-confirm to me the followings:

Your Full Name.
Phone, Fax and Mobile.
Address.
Age and Marital Status.
Nearest airport

The Diplomatic Attached will travel with it. They will call you
immediately they arrive in your countries airport to your house. I hope you
understand me.

Note: The diplomat does not know the original contents of the boxes.
What l declared to them as the contents is Sensitive Photographic Film
Materials for security reasons. I did not declare money to them please.
If they call you and ask you the contents please tell them the same
thing Ok. You will secure the Diplomatic immunity clearance certificate and
the Certificate of fund ownership, without this two certificate, your
Payment fund will not be approve, can not be courier for this payment
season, the needed certificate will Make it pass every custom Checkpoint
all over the world without hitch.

Confirm the receipt of this message and re-send the requirements to me
immediately you receive this message. Please I need urgent reply
because the boxes are Schedule to live as soon as we hear from you. I will
try to contact you today again and attached the money as being taken to
the diplomat service company for delivering. You are to call/email me
for further directives.

Thanks
Yours Truly,
MR. OBI DODO
UNITED NATIONS CRIME PREVENTION UNIT,
AFRICA CHAPTER.

[End Email]

Got this today:

Subject: Attn: Client
From: "Thomas Green" <HMTCC2@web2mail.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 15:58:18 +0100 (CET)

Her Majesty’s Terrorism Control Commission
Registered in England: 324/801 GB
London, United Kingdom
1: 02: 08

Attn: Client

Sir,
My Commission Her Majesty’s Terrorism Control Commission (HMTCC) has
been informed that you are in need of a Top Priority document,
depicting non-association with Terrorist financing and Money Laundering
matters. A requisite of any large inter-regional transfer over the tune of One
Hundred US dollars (US$100,000) as initiated by the World Global
Commission and the United Nations fight against terror and money laundering
around the Globe. It was brought to my notice by a Mr. McBride Bryan of
Nat West Bank, UK PLC, of the need for you to acquire this document to
expedite an outstanding payment requisite. Our sources have also
informed us that a company was indeed trying to acquire the said document at
the tune of Ten Thousand US dollars (US$10,000). If this information
be correct, then I would like to inform you that your search for the
highly sensitive document has reached a successful end.

Our Commission (HMTCC) is fully empowered and authorized to process
this document on your behalf, as long as your request is genuine and fully
verified by a UK based bank. According to Mr. McBride Bryan of Nat
West bank we were told that such verification has already been certified
and cleared by the bank. Nat West Bank UK PLC being a
World reputable bank is qualified to make such a certification. Based
on these recommendations, let me give you the total costing per quota
for the acquisition of this highly classified document. An issuance
charge is being reviewed presently and would be formally presented to you,
once an official invoice would be issued by the Revenue Department and
original copies would be dispatched to your bank account immediately,
while scanned copies would be sent to you for clarity and your review,
awaiting for your e-mail response and request for payment instructions
accordingly.

Thank you for your cooperation.
Yours truly,
Thomas Green
(Commissioned Representative)
—————————————————————————————————————
This message and any attachment are confidential and may be privileged
or otherwise protected from disclosure.If you are not the intended
recipient, please telephone or email the sender and delete this message and
any attachment from your system.If you are not the intended recipient
you must not copy this message or attachment or disclose the contents
to any other person.
Please consider the environmental impact before printing this document
and its attachment(s).Print black and white and double-sided where
possible.

ATTN:CLIENT

[END MESSAGE]

Check it out, y'all, privileged information!! Be careful of your environmental impact…