Updated Aug 07.

Yahoo Awards Center Lottery or Sweepstake is a Scam.

The following is the info from Yahoo regarding this scam:
"No. There is no Yahoo! Lottery, and we would never send you information about a contest you never entered.

That’s the definition of unsolicited: you never asked for it. It showed up out of nowhere. The message probably also displays two other hallmarks of fraud emails: it appears to be official (with company logos, even links), and it demands urgent action “to claim your prize”, or something similar.

If you’ve received a message like “Final Notification: Yahoo! Mail Winner!” or “Your Email Address Has Won $XX million”, it’s a scam.

Don’t reply to the email, don’t click on any links in it, and never divulge any personal information. Instead, click Spam.

Yahoo! Mail will never request personal information in an unsolicited email.

If you get an email that looks like it’s from Yahoo! but tells you you’re the winner of a Yahoo! Lottery or other contest – and it asks you to email personal information to claim a cash prize or reward – click Spam to dispose of it. You can also forward the suspicious email to mail-spoof@cc.yahoo-inc.com. Thanks!

"Phishing" is a play on the word "fishing" — because perpetrators are "fishing" for your private information or trying to find ways to trick you into sending them money. Don’t be fooled! These deceptive emails are used to commit identity theft, charge your credit cards, empty your bank accounts, read your email, and lock you out of your online account by changing your password.

Check out Yahoo’s Security Center for more information on email scams and ways to protect yourself."

If you would like to verify this to satisfy yourself that you are not the lucky one, check this Yahoo page. As one of our commentators below noted, there so many winners in this page... more than the number mentioned in the mail. And if Yahoo runs a lottery, it will be a great news and the talk of the internet.

-----Attached-----
Return-path: <eric_claims_agen31@hotmail.co.uk>
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From: "Awards Winning" <eric_claims_agen31@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:42:06 +0100
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 02 Apr 2007 17:42:11.0376 (UTC) FILETIME=[3E237B00:01C7754E]
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS

yAhoo Awards Center
124 Stockport Road, Longsight, Manchester M60 2DB - United  Kingdom

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of Eight Hundred,Twenty Thousand Great Britain Pounds (£820,000,00.) for the month of April, 2007 Prize   promotion which is organized by YAHOO AWARDS  & WINDOWS LIVE.

YAHOO collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo and Hotmail and few from other e-mail providers. Six people are selected monthly to benefit from this promotion and you are one of the Selected Winners.

PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM
 
Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Centre. Yahoo Prize Award must be claimed no later than 15 days from date of Draw Notification. Any prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.
 
Stated below are your identification numbers:
 
BATCH NUMBER:           SFD/07/CGC-21421
REFERENCE NUMBER:   2007631343
PIN:                               1358

These numbers fall within the England Location file, you are requested to contact our fiduciary agent in England and send your winning identification numbers to him;
 
Agent Name: Dr Eric Henry 
Address : 23 Bedford Row, High Holborn, London, WC1R 4EB, England
E-Mail: eric_henry15@yahoo.co.uk
E-Mail: eric_henry1@hotmail.co.uk
 
     
Tel: +44 7031973671     
Tel: +44 7031940568
   
You are advised to send the following information to your Claims Agent to facilitate the release of your fund to you.
 
1. Full name...............................
2. Country..................................
3. Contact Address.....................
4. Telephone Number.................
5. fax Number............................
5. Marital Status.........................
6. Occupation.............................
7.  My Date of birth......................
7. Sex.................................
8. Your banking information where the fund will be transferred into either in your country or out side.
9. Your country. I.e. the account number, bank name, swift code of the bank, address of the bank and the account name.
 
Congratulations!! once again.

Yours in service,
                  
  
Dr. (Mrs.) Mercy Martins
--------------------------------
WARNING!
 
Do not tell people about your Prize Award until your money is successfully handed over to you to avoid disqualification that may arise from double claim.

You may also receive similar e-mails from people potraying to be other Organizations or Yahoo Inc. This is solely to collect your personal information from you and lay claim over your winning. In event that you receive any e-mail similar to the notification letter that was sent to you, Kindly delete it from your mail box and give no further correspondence to such person or body.
 
Yahoo shall not be held responsible for any loss of fund arising from the above mentioned