As usual these hoaxes are targeted at those that are not yet cynical enough ;-)
Hoax Part (Bill Gates)
This started to appear towards the end of November 1997.
Hello everybody,
My name is Bill Gates. I have just written up an
e-mail tracing program that traces everyone to whom
this message is forwarded to. I am experimenting with
this and I need your help. Forward this to everyone
you know and if it reaches 1000 people everyone on
the list will receive $1000 at my expense. Enjoy.
Your friend,
Bill Gates
Hoax Part 2 (EEVP)
This started to appear towards the end of November 1997.
OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way, Bldg. 8, N.
Office 2211
Redmond, WA 98052 USA
**ATTENTION**
Thanks for your help in compiling the "email
database." I am happy to report that the 1000
participant threshold was broken on December 2nd,
1997 with a final push from the Boston area. You and
everyone else you forwarded that email to have just
qualified for our $1000 COMPENSATION prize !!
To claim your prize, simply respond to this email
with your credit card number and expiration date and
I will have someone from my office credit your
account with the $1000.00 winnings.
With Warmest Regards,
Bill Gates
*********
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The Microsoft Corporation makes no
claim and takes no responsibility for any damage that
shall be caused by the EEVP (embedded executable
virus program) which is now resident in the virtual
memory of most if not all of the participants of the
Late '97 E-Contest.
The E-contest was actually a testbed for a new
product we are developing called "V-TRACE98 v2.04".
Within the past few months specialists in our
VMTF(Virus Management Testbed Facility) accidentally
discovered several new strains of EEVPs which cause
particularly devastation to Netscape Communicator 4.0
software.
VT98 is being marketed at network administrators (a
consumer product is in development) as a virus tool
to trace a new strain of embedded executable email
viruses back to their original source and "extinguish
the threat" by cleansing the network and all client
machines of all EEVP viruses and all Netscape
communications software. VT98 2.04 then refreshes the
clients with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.5 (our
latest release which has just been developed to
combat EEVPs and other Netscape and Sun Microsystems
JAVA software security weaknesses).
Early estimates placed the trace limitation of such a
program at 672 users. In actuality, we were able to
trace the spread of the EEVP message back through 994
participants to our MSVSS (Microsoft Virus Seed
Server) at the Microsoft VMTF here in Redmond. The
E-contest virus distribution vehicle was quite
successful!
And so, we offer this generous COMPENSATION prize to
our 1000 willing participants to address the effects
of this new strain of EEVP. We hope that $1000.00
will be enough to cover the certain loss of most of
the files on your hard drive(we valued at $257), not
to mention the time and anguish (we valued at $43),
and the general pain and suffering (valued at $93).
This leaves you with exactly $607.00 which we expect
you will most likely want to spend on a copy of our
new program "E-SPAM BARRIER 98 v1.0" to prevent
receiving our e-contest testbed messages in the
future (priced at $597). Lastly, we thought we should
leave you for a couple of stiff drinks (priced at $9
or $10).
Happy Holidays!
Hoax Part 3 (Disney Jr.)
This started to appear towards the end of August 1998.
It's back! The email tracking myth has returned, this time in a chain letter calimingto originate from "Walt Disney Jr. and Management at Disney World."
FW: Let's do Disney!
Disney message & $5,000.00
If you read below you will see the note from
Walt Disney Jr. & Management at Disney World.
Basically if this messages reaches 13,000
people, everyone will receive $5,000.00 or a
free, all expenses paid, trip to Disney World
in anytime during the summer of 1999.
See the note below - its worth it!!!!
Everyone is to resend to 15 individuals.
Please read and forward to as many friends as
possible...we've checked up on this and this is
no joke of a chain letter or something if this
reaches 13,000 people...duplicate entries don't
count, though...So, please help & pass on...
thank you, and here you go!!!
WALT DISNEY JR.
GREETING
Hello Disney fans,
And thank you for signing up for Bill Gates'
Beta Email Tracking
My name is Walt Disney Jr.
Here at Disney we are working with Microsoft
which has just compiled an e-mail tracing
program that tracks everyone to whom this
message is forwarded to. It does this through
an unique IP (Internet Protocol) address log
book database. We are experimenting with this
and need your help. Forward this to everyone
you know and if it reaches 13,000 people, 1,300
of the people on the list will receive $5,000,
and the rest will receive a free trip for two
to Disney World for one week during the summer
of 1999 at our expense.
Enjoy.
Note: Duplicate entries will not be counted.
You will be notified by email with further
instructions once this email has reached 13,000
people.
Your friends,
Walt Disney Jr., Disney, Bill Gates, & The
Microsoft Development Team.
Although part 2 of this hoax describes a virus "EEVP" there is no such virus and of course neither of these hoaxes originate from Microsoft or Bill Gates.
Please ignore any messages regarding this supposed "virus" and do not pass on any messages regarding it. Passing on messages about this hoax serves only to further propagate it.
Yet another version...This one appeared in May 1999.
Variant 4. $800 Dollars from Microsoft
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 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 Fo
r my address. I gave it to them and yesterday I got a check the mail for $800. It really works. I wanted you to get a piece of the action. You won't regret it.
Please ignore any messages regarding this supposed "virus" and do not pass on any messages regarding it. Passing on messages about this hoax serves only to further propagate it. |