http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa051299.htm?pid=2733&cob=home
Microsoft Email Tracking: the Sequel
Dateline: 05/12/99
This week's hot email forward claims that Microsoft is testing "a new email tracking system" in an effort to stay competitive in the wake of the AOL/Netscape merger. According to the message, Microsoft will pay you $5 for every person you forward it to, an additional $3 for every person they forward it to, and so on.
"It really works," says the chain letter.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but no... it doesn't work.
There's no such thing as email tracking (see last year's debunking for the whys and wherefores), nor is Microsoft so desperate for attention that it needs to resort to chain letters to promote itself.
If you forwarded this message, you've been had:
Subject: Sounds Pretty Simple... Need Money? Hi gang: Let's see if this one really works!
Hi this is pretty cool!
Netscape and AOL have recently merged to form the largest internet company
in the world. In an effort to remain at pace with this giant, Microsoft has
introduced a new email tracking system as a way to keep Internet Explorer as
the most popular browser on the market. This email is a beta test of the new
software and Microsoft has generously offered to compensate those who
participate in the testing process. For each person you send this email to,
you will be given $5. For every person they give it to, you will be given an
additional $3. For every person they send it to you will receive $1.
Microsoft will tally all the emails produced under your name over a two week period and then email you with more instructions. This beta test is only for Microsoft Windows users because the email tracking device that contacts Microsoft is embedded into the code of Windows 95 and 98.
I know you guys hate forwards. But I started this a month ago because I was very short on cash. A week ago I got an email from Microsoft asking me for my address. I gave it to them and yesterday I got a check in the mail for $800. It really works. I wanted you to get a piece of the action. You won't regret it.
This is a hoax, essentially a new variant of an older email prank that first circulated in November 1997. The Bill Gates $1,000 Giveaway Hoax introduced the gimmick of "email tracking" and promised similar monetary rewards for those who helped "test" the nonexistent software. This was debunked by Bill Gates himself in an essay he wrote over a year ago.
Even so, the email tracking motif has shown up again and again since that time – most famously in the Walt Disney Jr. chain letter of last September. The circulation of that hoax was so enormous it prompted a rare public denial from both Disney and Microsoft.
Bill Gates said it best – it's "fraudulent," it's "bogus," it's all a bunch of "hooey." Don't fall for this recycled prank.
TheHermit
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-virus@lucifer.com
> [mailto:owner-virus@lucifer.com]On Behalf
> Of Joe E. Dees
> Sent: Monday, May 17, 1999 4:30 PM
> To: virus@lucifer.com
> Subject: virus: Re: Fw: [Money, Money, Money] An e-chain letter I
> received
>
>
> From: "Tinsley" <textins@pnx.com>
> To: <jed1@students.uwf.edu>
> Subject: Fw: [Money, Money, Money]
> Date sent: Mon, 17 May 1999 04:21:48 -0500
>
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: carol <carol@pnx.com>
> > To: Elaine <gizmogirls@aol.com>
> > Cc: Suzanne <SuzanneS37@aol.com>; Susie Simmons
> <snookie@bayou.com>; Sue
> > Brasseaux <sue4270@aol.com>; Robert Mayo
> <BJDBL@worldnet.att.net>; Mavis
> > Luquette <Mavisluquette@prodigy.net>; Mary Tinsley
> <textins@pnx.com>; Lotus
> > Larocca <lolarocca@aol.com>; Lori Lindner <mojo@pnx.com>;
> Lois Guidry
> > <lguidry@esc5.net>; Kyle Hood <rhood@pnx.com>; Kerri Johnson
> > <KFJ313@aol.com>; Kathy Reeves <kreeves@tenet.edu>; Karen Mullins
> > <Mullins7@aol.com>; JoAnn Fournier <JAF007@aol.com>; Ginger
> > <ginger@urjet.net>
> > Sent: Saturday, May 15, 1999 12:35 PM
> > Subject: Fw: [Money, Money, Money]
> >
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >----------
> > >> From: Christy Vu <CVu@tambcd.edu>
> > >> To: Jason Zimmerman <JZimmerman@tambcd.edu>; Partha Mukherji
> > ><PMukherji@tambcd.edu>; Paul Upatham <PUpatham@tambcd.edu>;
> > >'janella.j.delmundo@chase.com'; 'annehk@worldnet.att.net';
> > >'liliyjang@webtv.net'; 'cagray@cheerful.com'; 'landrysd@aol.com'
> > ><landrysd@AOL.COM>; 'vuc@uthscsa.edu'; 'vutt@musc.edu';
> 'vuat@musc.edu'
> > >> Subject: FW: [Money, Money, Money]
> > >> Date: Thursday, May 13, 1999 9:16 AM
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> > ----------
> > >> > From: Scottie Nguyen
> > >> > Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 1999 2:31 PM
> > >> > To: Amanda Phan; Bao Hoang; Benjamin Chang; Bobby
> Jivnani; C Shawn
> > >Pack;
> > >> > Chad C Perry; Charles Boatner; Christopher Shawn Pack;
> Christy Vu; Dao
> > >> > Pham; David Philofsky; David Tran; Hien Kevin Luong;
> Spencer Page;
> > >Tuyet
> > >> > Huynh
> > >> > Subject: FW: [Money, Money, Money]
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > -----Original Message-----
> > >> > From: nina nguyen [SMTP:nina.nguyen@mail.sprint.com]
> > >> > Sent: Friday, May 07, 1999 12:37 PM
> > >> > To: sharmina.rahman@openmail.mail.sprint.com;
> > >> > Reyes_Quintil/OM60@daopmp02.corp.sprint.com;
> susan.chong@ey.com;
> > >> > tthai12@yahoo.com; michelle.wilson@openmail.mail.sprint.com
> > >> > Subject: FW: [Money, Money, Money]
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > -----Original Message-----
> > >> > From: Buck, Christine
> > >> > Sent: Friday, May 07, 1999 2:29 PM
> > >> > To: cbuck; james.hernandez; Nguyen, Nina;
> Tipton, Ron; wbuck3;
> > >> > White, Susan
> > >> > Subject: FW: [Money, Money, Money]
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > -----Original Message-----
> > >> > From: Britt, Michael
> > >> > Sent: Friday, May 07, 1999 10:48 AM
> > >> > To: Anderson, Jean; Buck, Christine;
> Courtney-Gray; DRODGERS;
> > >> > Graham, Jarvis; latrivette; Lin, Stella;
> Margolis, Glenn;
> > >> > McClellan, Cara; Shamburger, Andrew;
> Shaw, Judith; Sweet,
> > >> > Jason; Taylor, Harmon; tinagates; Ybarra, Yvonne
> > >> > Subject: FW: [Money, Money, Money]
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > Sherry M. Lewis
> > >> > Supervisor- AMU AR/AP
> > >> > (972)657-1243
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > -----Original Message-----
> > >> > From: Williams, Tamara
> > >> > Sent: Friday, May 07, 1999 9:45 AM
> > >> > To: Reed, Rhonda; Derrick, Rodney; Spears, Michelle;
> Garcia, Eliab;
> > >> > Corzine, Gary; Galloway, Kristi; Hendricks, Audrey;
> Wells, Tammy;
> > >> > Hollands, Carey; Dunn, Anna; Chambers, Tammy; Jones,
> Sandy; Charles,
> > >> > Shaniqua; Newton, Valencia; Clerkley, Tim; Lewis,
> Sherry; Jacobs,
> > >> > Kerrale;
> > >> > Mitchell, Darnell; Moore, Robert; Carpenter, Chad; Reed, Greg;
> > >> > Hamilton,
> > >> > Johnny
> > >> > Subject: [Money, Money, Money]
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > Netscape and AOL have recently merged
> > >> > to form the largest internet company in the world. In
> > >> > an effort to remain at pace with this giant,
> > >> > Microsoft has introduced a new email tracking system as
> > >> > a way to keep Internet Explorer as the most popular
> > >> > browser on the market.
> > >> > This email is a beta test of the new software and
> > >> > Microsoft has generously offered to compensate those
> > >> > who participate in the testing process. For each
> > >> > person you send this email to,you will be given $5.
> > >> > For every person they give it to, you will be given an
> > >> > additional $3. For every person they send it to you
> > >> > will receive $1.
> > >> > Microsoft will tally all the emails produced under
> > >> > your name over a two week period and then email
> > >> > you with more instructions. This beta test is only
> > >> > for Microsoft Windows users because the email
> > >> > tracking device that contacts Microsoft is embedded
> > >> > into the code of Windows 95 and 98.
> > >> > Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit
> > >> > http://www.msn.com
> > >> > I know you guys hate forwards. But I started this a
> > >> > month ago because I was short on cash. A week ago I
> > >> > got an email from Microsoft asking me for my
> > >> > address. I gave it to them and yesterday I got a
> > >> > check in the mail for $800. It really works. I
> > >> > wanted you to get a piece of the action. You won't
> > >> > regret it.
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >> > "Lady M"
> > >> > Marcia J. Pecot
> > >> > Morehouse School of Medicine
> > >> > Research Assistant
> > >> > Atlanta, GA
> > >> > (H)770-339-2920
> > >> > (W)404-756-5221
> > >> >
> > >> >
> > >>
> >
> >
>
>
>