Last significant update: 12 July 1999
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We just received the following foolishness today, courtesy of several U-M folks:
-----Original Message-----
From: #ZHANG ZHENG#
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 1999 8:05 PM
To: [snip]
Subject: HURRY! FREEEEE PC FROM IBM
Hey, I just wanted to let you guys know about this great new PC I just
got from IBM!
Yeah, right.
Hewlett-Packard and Gateway have just merged to form the biggest
computer supplier in the world!
False. If this were the case, it certainly would have been big news by now -- as I write, it's 12 July, so it's almost a week. I needn't comment further, but just to show how silly and obvious this hoax is, let's look at the rest of it.
Bigger than Dell, bigger than IBM,bigger than them all! In response to
this amazing merger, IBM has set aside 250,000 free computers to reward
and keep it's most loyal and trusted customers!
Hmmm. That's 250,000 * $683.95 = $170,987,500 for their least expensive model, at the best street price I could find (at KillerApp.com (leaving our site), an online price comparison site).
$170 million is a rather steep price to pay to keep "it's (sic) most loyal and trusted customers." Particularly when IBM is no longer a major player in the PC business, and there is no guarantee that anyone would be loyal when the time comes around to obtain one's next computer.
I've already got mine,
Liar liar pants on fire. If you don't believe me, see what IBM (leaving our site) has to say about it!
read on to see how you can get yours!!! This email has a special
encoding which will let IBM know every time you send it to one of your
friends or relatives.
No such technology exists -- except, perhaps, within state-funded institutions like the National Security Agency.
The first 250,000 people who send this to at least 15 of their friends
will receive a brand new IBM computer! After you send this to your
friends, and qualify, IBM will contact you via email, and get your
shipping address.
I wonder why we haven't heard of the thousands of satisfied customers yet....
Send them your address,
Why? With their miraculous "Big Brother" technology, they can no doubt just look up your address, right?
and in a couple of days, a brand new computer, complete with printer,
and 19" monitor is sitting on your doorstep!
... but only if you happened to order such a system, and pay for it.
You must hurry, because this offer ends July 31 of this year! Here's
the catch, though. Each of your friends must send this to at least 5
people or you won't be eligible, so choose your friends wisely!
First piece of good advice.
I suggest that you *definitely* not choose such a person as a friend. I'll even go so far as to say that you might think twice about the rationality of anyone who forwards this to you. I know folks are always looking for a free lunch, but can't they THINK?
If you mention this to them and they provide some weak excuse, perhaps it would be fitting to tell them that Greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Remember, a true friend will send this along for you!
Heaven spare me from the false ones, then!!
That's all it takes, no strings attached! No purchase necessary!!! You
don't even have to have previously purchased a computer from IBM! They
want to earn or keep your future business, and they're willing to pay
for it!!! Take Care, and let's get some new computers!!!
Standard drivel.
Please do not forward this -- or any other hoax -- to all your friends.
Instead, you should reply to the sender -- and as far back up the email
chain as you have energy -- informing the originators that this is a hoax.
For this particular hoax, I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL
(http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/free-pc.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page
(http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable
site, like DataFellows (leaving our site).
-BPB
visits to this page since 12 July, 1999 19:41 EDT