Beware Bill Gates Hoax E-Mail

[ninjagirl]

I just an e-mail in saying that if i forwarded this e-mail i will get a $243 per a e-mail e.t.c.

Well at first i was wondering why someone i dealt with sent this to me and just had a look on USA today and found out its a hoax. if anyone get this, just ignore it.

it is spam, and before you ask no i did not forwarded this as i am not dumb to believe it. i get these types of e-mails every few weeks, usualy from nigara offering millions of dollers.

http://antivirus.about.com/od/emailh.../maoltrack.htm

Is Bill really that anxious to part with his fortune?
Hucksters are at it again; instead of potentially life-threatening Nigerian 419 scams disguised as money-laundering schemes, this one promises generous payments from Bill Gates, Microsoft, and AOL. All you have to do to is forward an email, sit back and collect a couple hundred bucks per email address - NOT!
According to the bogus email, these corporate giants are conducting an "e-mail beta test" to ensure that "Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program." Supposedly you will be paid up to $245 per email address to which you forward, with pyramid payouts that continue to provide additional income each time the forwarded email is forwarded. There's even a personal note at the bottom promising "You are bound to get at least US$10,000.00."

Actually, all you will get is a sore trigger finger from pressing the Forward button and quite possibly return email from conscientous friends urging you to visit the Hoax Encyclopedia before acting on info found in an email.

Though the hoax has achieved enough spread to indicate many find it believable, it is not only holding out false promises but, worse, it's not even original. Instead, the hoax is a knock-off of an older hoax known as the Bill Gates email tracking hoax.

Following is the full text of the more recent hoax:

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 forrward 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.

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.

Remember the old adage, If it sounds too good to be true - it is. Emails promising riches are no exception. Forward them only to the nearest Recycle Bin.

[lordsmurf]

If ever in doubt over fakes, rumors, urban legends, then visit www.snopes.com

[jenstewart]

The longer you've owned a particular email address, the more often you'll get hoaxes like these coming your way. There are very few exceptions to the rule "There are no free lunches", especially in the internet world.