From: tdn
Category: Urban legend
Date: 24 Jan 2000
Time: 10:41:08
Remote Name: 206.24.45.99
Great suggestion, pinq. But not tactful enough. Remember, this person sends me XMas gifts.
Does my sis-in-law read these things critically? Here's a couple of clues for you: a) I've sent her billgate.htm a million times before. If she hasn't read it by now, she's not likely to in the future; b) She sent it back to her daughter, who originally sent it to her. Not being real careful with her "to" field.
Instead of forwarding my response to all of the recipients (why spam the innocent?), I extracted all of the "from" addresses that were so conveniently included. Below is my response to them.
t "first, kill all the lawyers that spam you" dn
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If you forward an email in hopes that you will be getting money from Microsoft (or shoes from Nike, or a car from Honda, or clothes from the Gap), how many days should you wait by the mailbox? And how many people should you forward this to? The answer, in both cases, is zero. This is a hoax. Some sick individual came up with a great way to have his email spammed all over the known universe. His M. O.? Greed. People love the idea of getting something for nothing. Hoaxsters know this. For more information, check out:
<http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/billgate.htm>
In short, there is no such thing as an email tracking system. No matter how big the reward, forwarded amails of this type are not true. A bit of critical analysis will show this hoax for what it is:
>I'm an attorney, and I know the law. This thing is for real.<
If you can't trust an anonymous attorney who spams his friends, who can you trust? Futhermore, it doesn't take a lawyer to realize that a forwarded email does not constitute a binding contract.
>multimillion dollar class action suit similar to the one filed by Pepsico against General Electric not too long ago.<
There was no such lawsuit. If we believe this fiction, what else are we asked to believe? Plenty, as it turns out.
>I'll be damned if we're all going to help them out with their e-mail beta test without getting a little something for our time.<
Yeah, those bastards! I spent a good 10 seconds forwarding this to my (soon to be ex-) friends, now I want a million dollars! Sheesh. Ever heard of working for a living?
>she showed me her check. It was...stamped "Paid In Full".<
Since when do banks ever return a check to the payee? And have you ever gotten a check so stamped? In all my years as a banker, I have never seen this.
>Like I said before, I know the law,<
Yeah. Like I want this bozo representing me.
>If you don't believe me you can email her at [address removed]<
Please don't. How would you like it if someone put *your* address in one of these chain letters?
>This is not a joke.<
Ah, but it is. And for those of us that forward it, the joke is on us.
>I am forwarding this because the person who sent it to me is a good friend and does not send me junk.<
Once again, if you can't trust an anonymous stranger who sends out chain letters, who can you trust?
>Intel and AOL are now discussing a merger<
>For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you<
Didn't belive me so far? Then ask yourself this: If Intel and AOL are merging, why are the checks coming from Microsoft (thanks to my friend Starla for pointing this out)?
>Try it, what have you got to lose????<
Bandwidth.
But if you do send this out, keep 2 things in mind:
1) If you plan your budget around the check you will be getting, then you deserve every cent you get.
2) *Please* delete all of the >'s and past routing addresses. They're really annoying.
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> > > > >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 > > > > an > > > > >multimillion dollar class action > > > > >suit similar to the one filed by > Pepsico against General > > > > Electric not too > > > > >long ago. I'll > > > > >be damned if we're all 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. If you > don't believe me you can > > > > email her > > > > at > > > > >jpiltman@baylor.edu > <mailto:jpiltman@baylor.edu> . She's > > > > eager > > > > >to answer any questions you guys might > have. Thanks, Dirk. I > > > > know I'm >already in. Moore, Dirk" > wrote: If you don't do this, > > > > you must be really, > > > > >really dumb. From: James M. > Schwarnica > > > > >This is not a joke. I am forwarding > this because the person > > > > who sent it to >me is a good friend and > does not send me junk. > > > > 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 this > was a scam myself, but a > > > > friend of my good friend's Aunt > >Patricia, who works at Intel > > > > actually got a check for $4,543.23 by > > > > >forwarding this e-mail. Try it, what > have you got to lose???? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >