Internet Scam Using Microsoft and AOL.....................
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive April 2004:
Internet Scam Using Microsoft and AOL.....................
A friend sent me an email that said that Microsoft and AOL were conducting some sort of "beta" research, and that if you forwarded the email, you would receive monetary compensation. It said, that for every person that you forwarded to, you would receive $249.00. It went on to say that one person received a check for $10,000! Supposedly, they track your emails, and contact you for a mailing address.
It sounded too good to be true (as most things of this nature do), so I called Microsoft's marketing department. The person I spoke with was very nice, and confirmed that it was indeed a HOAX.
Two things bothered me about the whole thing. That someone could track my internet traffic, and that I would be giving my address to a complete stranger. Who knows WHAT they do with the information. Maybe an identity theft ring.
I don't know how to link, and cut and paste items (you all are so much more computer proficient than I am), so I am going to forward the email to Ginny's work email address. I would like the lawyers that she works for to see it, as the person writing it claims to be a lawyer.
Just wanted to warn everyone.
Thanks - there has been a version of this scam around for a long time. The best bet on the net is that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Ame
I got this email too, here it is.
To all of my friends, I do not usually forward messages, but this is
>from
>my
> > >good friend Pearlas Sanborn and she really is an attorney.
> > >
> > >If she says that this will work - it WILL work. After all, what have
>you
>got
> > >to lose?
> > >SORRY EVERYBODY..JUST HAD TO TAKE THE CHANCE!!!
> > >I'm an attorney, and I know the law. This thing is for real.
> > >Rest assured AOL and Intel will follow through with their promises
>for
>fear
> > >of facing a multimillion-dollar class action suit similar to the
>one
>filed
> > >by PepsiCo against General Electric not too long ago.
> > >
> > >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 week 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 cheque.
> > >
> > >Regards.
> > >Charles S. Bailey
> > >General Manager Field Operations
> > >1-800-842-2332 Ext. 1085 or 904-245-1085 or RNX 292-1085
> > > Charles_Bailey@csx.com !
> > >
> > >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 received a cheque for US$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 US$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.
> > >
> > >For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay
>you
> > >$203.15.
> > >For every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft
>will
>pay
> > >you $156.29
> > >And for every third person that receives it, you will be paid
>$17.65.
> > >Within two weeks, Intel will contact you for your address and then
>send
>you
> > >a check.
> > >I thought thi! s was a scam myself, but a friend of my good friend's
>Aunt
>
> > >Patricia, who works at Intel, actually got a check of $4,54323 by
>forwarding
> > >this e-mail.
> > >
> > >Try it; what have you got to lose????
There are lots of programs out there that can track your internet traffic. They are called Spyware. Spyware is often put on your computer when you visit some sites, and definitely when you download things like free smilies, some screensaver or background programs, and, of course, any program that has Gator attached to it.
Spyware ranges from relatively harmless to downright dangerous. The harmless stuff just tracks your internet movement and is programmed to put the "right" advertising popups on your screen, depending on the site you visit. But some spyware can report back on lots more stuff, and some will actively try to change your home page (relatively harmless if annoying) to taking over your computer to use it to send spam (especially if you have cable or DSL instead of a dialup modem that disconnects when you leave the internet).
To get rid of Spyware, you can download Adaware (be careful - Ad Ware is not the same thing as Adaware. Ad Ware is itself spyware) and Spybot. Both are free, both are spyware removers. What I recommend is to go to this page in PC World
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/browse/0,cat,1443,sortIdx,1,00.asp
Click on Adaware, which will take you to another page where you can download it. Be sure to install it after you download it. On the same page where you download Adaware, a couple of programs down, is Spybot. I prefer to download Spybot from PC World, but go to Spybot's home page to download the updates - you want the Detection Updates and Tools Update. The page is
http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download.
Again, be sure to install after you download. Either your computer's download program will ask if you want to install the program or do your downloads to your "My Download" file and go into that file and click on the AdAware and Spybot icons to install them.
While you are on the first PC World page above, if you scroll down a bit you will find the place to download the free firewall, ZoneAlarm. This program provides a firewall that will prevent any spyware programs on your computer from using your internet connection to report back to whatever site put the spyware on your computer unless you give permission. However, some cable and DSL connections won't allow or won't work with ZoneAlarm, so you will have to see if it will work.
Finally, of course, be sure your virus definitions are up to date, be sure your antivirus program is set to check all incoming (and outgoing) emails, and be sure to do a virus scan at some regular time.
The problem with emails like this is that most often they are untraceable. The only thing you can do is send them (with full headers) to the organization they pretend to be from - like AOL, or Microsoft, or in some cases Citibank or Visa, and send a copy, with full headers, to the FTC, at uce@ftc.gov.
There is absolutely no point in even thinking about talking to a lawyer.
Wow Ginny,
Thanks for the info. I'm going to download and install those right away.
Ame
Thanks, Ginny. I didn't mean 'talk' to a lawyer. I just meant to show it to one of the lawyers, because the person posting it CLAIMS to be a lawyer.
That's an old scam that's been circulating for a few years now. I can't tell you how many people have emailed that to me.
The rule is that if you get an email from anyone asking for information like addresses, SS number, credit card numbers, ID or pin numbers, passwords or whatever, DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK! Even if it looks like a legitimate site, 99.99999% it isn't. If it appears to be from a financial institution you use, it isn't. Banks and mortgage companies don't use email to notify you of problems, they send you a letter. If it looks like it is from a site where you make internet purchases, don't use the link. Use your own bookmarks or google to take you to that site's legitimate home page and report the email to them. They will tell you whether it is a fraud (most likely it is).
Holly, quite frankly, I won't bother to show it to a lawyer. It is absolutely a scam. Anyone can claim to be a lawyer, but unless they tell me their full name and the state(s) in which they are licensed so I can check them out with that state's lawyer licensing board (usually the disciplinary board of that state's Supreme Court), my reaction is - yeah, right! No reputable, ethical lawyer would dream of sending such an email to people they don't know.
Thanks for the info. Iv gotten e-mails like this over and over and I usually delete them. Theres also an Applebee's one that comes around every so often and Im surprised at some of the people who send it to me.
Whenever I get those, I go to snopes and get the link to the page that debunks the email. I don't know if people go there and read it or not, but it makes me feel better. I keep hoping some of the people who send this garbage will get the hint and check snopes themselves, but they never do! LOL!
Snopes
Dawn, I do the same thing. The worst offender is my MOTHER. She believes everything on e-mails and sends them on to me. I don't know how many I've debunked for her, and she STILL sends them!! AAAGGHH!!!
I got the Applebee's one about a year ago. I also have a friend who believes everything. I got them both from him.
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