Earlier today I received an email which had been forwarded numerous times that read as follows:
Hello everyone!
The Ericsson company is distributing free computer lap tops in an attempt to match Nokia that has already done so. Ericsson hopes to increase its popularity this way. For this reason, they are giving away the WAP Laptops. All you need to qualify is to send this email to 8 people you know.
Within 2 weeks, you will receive Ericsson T18. But if you can send it to 20 people or more, you will receive Ericsson R320.
There are people within our building who have received their laptops so I thought I would share this information with you in hopes that you get one before they give them all out.
Make sure you send a copy to: [deleted].
Of course it doesn't make much sense that a company would give away free computers. A little research turned up this web site reporting that the email is in fact a hoax and Ericsson itself has asked people not to forward the emails. But I wonder: is it only a hoax or is this a clever attempt to generate lists of email addresses that can then be sold to spammers? Recipients of the message who take it seriously can be expected to use real email addresses for their friends and the instruction to send a copy to the address I deleted above makes it possible for someone at that address to receive those addresses. Anyone know?
Comments