Have you ever received an e-mail message that said it was from Microsoft and that you had won the lottery? If you've lost money from a scam like that, we encourage you to contact your local law enforcement agency. After you have, we would like to hear from you.
You can send a copy of your police report or the crime reference number to the following dedicated Microsoft e-mail address: lotfraud@microsoft.com.
Or you can mail details to Microsoft at this address:
Report Lottery Fraud Microsoft CorporationOne Microsoft WayRedmond, WA 98052-7329USA
Microsoft is collecting this information from lottery fraud victims to help investigate lottery fraud crime and to work with international law enforcement to help stop it.
For more information, see Report Microsoft lottery fraud.
The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) recently introduced the Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) to help get security information out faster.
Before this program,security software providers had to wait until the public release of security updates before building protections.
Now, members of MAPP can receive security vulnerability information from the MSRC in advance of regularly scheduled updates.
This means that they can deliver protection features to customers more quickly.
For more information, see Microsoft Active Protections Program.
Microsoft releases security updates on the second Tuesday of every month. This month Microsoft released 11 security updates.
Get the updates
To download the updates go to the Microsoft Update Web site. If you have automatic updating turned on, your computer will automatically update and install these security updates.
Read more about the updates
To find out more information about the updates, see Microsoft security updates for October.
Get technical information about the updates
For technical details, visit Microsoft TechNet.
One of the most important weapons in the toolbox of every virus writer, hacker, phisher, or other fraudster is the scare tactic.
Fraudsters might try to trick you into clicking links, opening attachments, or willingly handing over personal information by telling you that your account is going to be closed, that you already have a virus, or that someone has posted a video of you on the Internet.
The latest scare tactic is an e-mail message that appears to come from an anti-piracy group. The message says that the group has evidence that you've downloaded copyrighted material illegally. If you try to open the file that supposedly contains the evidence, you'll install malware on your computer.
If you receive an e-mail message like this, don't be tempted to open it. It's not real. For more tips on avoiding scams like these, see Recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mail.
If you have been sharing files illegally or legally, it's a good idea to know the risks.