I knew this was a scam in an instant. However I hope by posting this info I can prevent anyone from falling sucker. This notification made it directly into my personal email and bypassed the spam folder. It was addressed from [mnotification5@att.net] and the subject: CONGRATULATION LUCKY WINNER!  email read as such: MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM to recipient list not shown

YOU ARE LUCKY WINNER, SEE THE ATTACHED FILE AND MAKE YOUR CLAIMS.
MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM.

I was not stupid enough to open any attached files but simply googled "MICROSOFT AWARD TEAM" and found the following. I will paste the info I found (from consumer fraud reporting .org) since it says it every bit as good as I could...

Sample Lottery Scam Email:
Microsoft Award Team ,
Maurrine Diane H, Mr. Donald Duke, Dr. TINZO PAOLO


If you fell for this scam, please shoot yourself now

Below is yet another example of an pathetic phony lottery, this one using the name "Microsoft Award Team", or "Microsoft Award Winning Lottery Notification", or "MICROSOFT EMAIL PROMOTION DEPARTMENT" or "Microsoft Promotion Award Team" or "MICROSOFT MEGA JACKPOT LOTTO" - the scammer uses ALL of these names in the same email. This ranks as one of the most pathetic scams attempts we've ever seen. If you fell for this scam, we really feel sorry for you; you must get scammed on a daily basis.  Why do we say this?  Well, this scam includes so many, many obvious elements of a scam, and they are so ridiculous that we can't imagine anyone believing it.

There are many signs that this is a fraud, not the least of which is that Microsoft never has and never will sponsor a lottery, of any kind.  Bill Gates has made that pretty clear. Is there any way we make make that more clear? And, by the way, Microsoft is not, does not, and will not ever send you to DisneyWorld. They don't "test the internet", nor sponsor email lotteries to "promote use of the internet". The scammer can not even spell "hundred" correctly. "The prestigious Microsoft and AOL"? Pigs will fly before Microsoft sponsors a lottery together with AOL.

In addition to the usual clues, notice the gibberish writing, excessive/incorrect use of CAPITAL letters, lack of decent punctuation.  The sentences don't even make sense.  Hardly what a professional (i.e., real) lottery would do. Note the other clues to an obvious fraud that we have highlighted in the letter; keep confidential, selected by a random computer lottery of email addresses, use of free email accounts, etc.

Here is a typical scam lottery winning notification. 

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