Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been in the news lately after announcing his resignation, and cybercriminals have apparently taken advantage of the situation by using his name to spread a new spam campaign.
This online scam, which targets French-speaking users, was discovered by security researchers at ESET. The fake emails inform recipients that they have won €250,000 because their email address was selected in a Microsoft lottery based on specific criteria.
Beneficiaries are asked to respond to the emails and provide their personal information. In the next phase, victims may be asked to pay a special tax in advance in order to receive the money they are entitled to.
To make the story more believable, a copy of the winning ticket is attached to the messages. The winning ticket includes a photo of Bill Gates and the Microsoft logo.
However, in the name of the foundation providing the money, Bill Gates is incorrectly referred to as “Bill Gate.” “The word “sponsorship” is also incorrectly referred to as “sponsord,” making it clear that the scammers did not give much thought to the design of the campaign. Finally, the address of the “Bill Gate Foundation” is different from the address of the real “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,” although this information is not confidential.
