Web Con of The Week

I never seem to have trouble coming up with ideas for my Web Con of the Week. And even though the majority of these scams aren't even that original, I continue to get sent a million of them. Most are just recycled versions of Web Cons that have made the rounds a couple of years ago and people either don't remember them or are hearing these scams for the first time. Take a look at this week's email scam that involves Microsoft, AOL and a whole lot of free money.

Here's what the email says:

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 forward 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.
Regards. Chinu!

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.
Bob Oestreich

So this email scam sure sounds promising right? And they always come with a little note from your friends saying something like, 'Well, it doesn't hurt to try, right?' It may not hurt, but it sure is annoying. A very similar email was circulating in 1998 and was apparently signed by Bill Gates himself. That email also talked of a beta tracking system. I'm not sure why everyone falls for these things. How exactly do you think Microsoft is tracking your Hotmail or Yahoo accounts? Companies can't just track down your personal info and use it any time they want.

So the next time you get an email that seems a little too good to be true, chances are it's a Web Con and you should save yourself, and all your poor unsuspecting friends some trouble, and just delete it.

Have you been sent a Web Con or been tricked by an email scam? about your experience.

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