B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m Assalaamu `Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu
This is absolutely false. This hoax claims that the public can earn money simply by forwarding a message to all their friends. It further states that the earnings are relative to the number of recipients the reader manages to gather. It also refers to a "tracking" capability inherent in Microsoft Windows, thus making it possible to record the users who have received and forwarded the mentioned email. Finally, it baits the readers with the line, "What have you got to lose?" This makes the idea of forwarding the hoax message attractive since there is the assurance of reward, and supposed absence of risks. This claim is false, however, and a waste of email traffic. It makes use of prominent establishments and figures struggling to appear credible, but in the process fails because of bungled assertions. That millions of users are getting paid to merely forward emails is too good to be true. The alledged "email tracking" device is, at present, non-existent. Read the Official statement from Microsoft, Official statement from Bill Gates and the following Comments at: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blmsaol.htm <<< Comments: This is a hoax, and a recycled one at that. Bill Gates isn't sharing his fortune with random folks who habitually forward Internet chain letters. No merger between Microsoft and AOL has been announced -- indeed, it's hard to imagine an unlikelier event. Two of Microsoft's biggest competitors, America Online and Netscape, merged in 1998, making AOL Microsoft's main rival. Trust me, if these two behemoths were to merge, you'd have seen it in the headlines a thousand times over. Moreover, Microsoft cannot track the chain letters you forward, nor will Bill Gates pay you for replicating this insipid message. Why on earth would he? >>> The originators of this chain letter wanted to see how far it would go and so far this and variations about other companies, have been circulating for several years. The originators are having a good laugh at all the gullible people spreading this thing around. There have also been a few persons who have called Microsoft expecting money for all the hard work they did by sending the email out to everyone they could. Let's break this junk chain mail message down so you can recognise social engineering when you see it. Social Engineering is a way of using truth to gain your trust. Once you 'trust' it, it then passes falsehoods to you in the hope that you'll believe it also. In the first paragraph of the hoax message, you are addressed as "Dear Friend." This sucks you in and allays your fears. After all, your 'friends' won't hurt you, will they? Then they present the fact of competition between Microsoft and AOL. This part is true. The two companies are competing for 'Market share'. The part that is false is the beta-email-test. The second paragraph assures you that Microsoft can and will track this email. Absolutely false. Once any email is sent, the originator has no way to know who you forwarded it to unless you tell them yourself. And, frankly, Microsoft is a victim of this chain letter. The authors of this hoax know that a huge proportion of the population has no idea how email technology works. That is why they can get away with telling you that every email that you and everyone else sends out is tracked by Microsoft. The third paragraph appeals to your greed. It waves those promised dollars in front of your eyes. Your gut instinct tells you that this is not true, but that money waving in front of you promises so much... you see yourself on vacation... you start tallying up what you can do with that money... And you think, "What the heck. I'll send it out anyway. What harm can it do." The fact is that it does do harm. You are taking up peoples' time, (as well as mine writing this communiqué to all of you). They get this junk mail and are forced to delete it, or, they perpetuate the hoax only to find out later that they don't get any money. Please educate yourself about scams, hoaxes and cons before you forward that email or respond to them. Here are some resources for you to visit: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ms-money-giveway-hoax.html http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/microsoft-aol.asp http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/billgate.asp#aol http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBGiveAways.shtml http://cluestick.info/hoax/Bill_Gates_Fortune.htm http://www.scambusters.org/legends.html http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/msaol.html Anti-Phishing Working Group - http://www.antiphishing.org/phishing_archive.html This organisations works with law enforcement to identify phishing sites and shut them down. Please visit the Archive for alerts about fraudulent email currently circulating the web. If you respond to a 'Phishing' email, you may inadvertantly give your credit and personal information to criminals. Phishing WILL hurt you economically. Wa`Assalaamu `Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu Your sister, K a r i m a DDN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: xxxxxxxxxxx To: Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 7:56 PM Subject: PLEEEEEEASE READ!!!! it was on the news! Bill Gates is sharing his fortune --- On Thu, 8/7/08, Aadil Hassim <xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > From: Aadil Hassim <xxxxxxxxxxx> > Subject: FW: PLEEEEEEASE READ!!!! it was on the news! Bill Gates is sharing his fortune > To: > This was on the 9:00 o'clock news the other night and this works > > THIS TOOK TWO PAGES OF THE TUESDAY USA TODAY - IT IS FOR REAL > PLEEEEEEASE READ!!!! it was on the news! > > This thing is for real. Rest assured AOL and Intel will follow. > > Dear Friends; > > Please do not take this for a junk letter. Bill Gates is sharing his fortune. If you ignore this, > You will repent later. > > Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies and in an effort to make sure that > Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running an > e-mail beta test. > > When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will Track it (If you are a Microsoft Windows user)? > For a two weeks time period. For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $245.00 > For every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243.00 and ! for every third person > that receives it, You will be paid $241.00. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and > then send you a check. > > Regards > Charles S Bailey General Manager Field Operations > 1-800-842-2332 Ext. 1085 or > 904-1085 or RNX > 292-1085 > > I thought this was a scam myself, But two weeks after receiving this e-mail and forwarding it on. Microsoft contacted me > for my address and within days, I receive a check for $24, 800.00. You need to respond before the beta testing is over. > If anyone can afford this, Bill gates is the man. > > It's all marketing expense to him. Please forward this to as many people as possible.You are bound to get at least $10, 000.00. > We're not going to help them out with their e-mail beta test without getting a little something for our time. My brother's girlfriend > got in on this a few months ago. When I went to visit him for the Baylor /UT game. She showed me her check. It was for the sum > of $4,324.44 and was stamped 'Paid in full' > > Like I said before, I know the law, and this is for real. > Intel and AOL are now discussing a merger which would make them the largest Internet company and in an effort make sure > that AOL remains the most widely used program, Intel and AOL are running an e-mail beta test. > > When you forward this e-mail to friends, Intel can and will track it (if you are a Microsoft Windows user) for a two week time period. > Try it; What have you got to lose ! > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
