engine - 6:58 pm on Oct 28, 2008 (gmt 0)

Microsoft, Yahoo In Alliance To [pcworld.com]Combat Lottery Scams

Microsoft and Yahoo have formed a group with two other partners to give law enforcement a hand in stopping bogus lottery scams and educating Internet surfers. Microsoft and Yahoo have seen increasing amounts of e-mail using their brand names to convince unwitting users they've won a lottery. The scammers then instruct victims to pay fees in order to collect their winnings, a scam known as advance fee fraud. Joining those companies is the African Development Bank, whose brand is also abused, and Western Union, whose wire transfer services are frequently used in the scams.