You wouldn't believe this offer from Bill Gates - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Burninator · 11-02-2007, 09:37 AM

I just got an email forwarded to me this morning with an exciting proposition. Bill Gates and AOL are testing a new beta email. But to prevent the threat of a class action lawsuit they are required to pay each person hundreds of dollars for each person you forward the email to and even more money to each subsequent email forwarded.

Skeptical? Don't be! The starter of this email is an attorney and she assured me that it is real. It was on America Today this morning and on the cover of USA Today. The email even contained first hand accounts of people getting their cheques. The legitimacy of this offer is undoubtedly not in question. With this new found wealth machine I stand make thousands and thousands of dollars with the click of a mouse.

So if everyone could post their emails I will send forward you this fantastic offer and we will both prosper from it's generosity. I am so confident about this that I have decided I don't need to sit at a desk anymore like a rube and I've vacated my job in the quest to make it rich with true Internet offers such as this.

/sarcasm

I can't believe people are still sending me this crap. I first got this email probably 8 years ago and I didn't believe it then. So now do I "reply all" and send a bunch of people I don't know the snopes link? Or do I not act like an Internet know-it-all and leave them to send it to more morans? What do you folks do when people send you scam emails?

burn_baby_burn · 11-02-2007, 09:40 AM

I add them to my spam list.

ken0042 · 11-02-2007, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burninator

What do you folks do when people send you scam emails?

It all depends on where she is on my personal ladder theory.

redforever · 11-02-2007, 09:42 AM

With that type of crap, I ignore. But sometimes I get a mail from some worried friend, who had it passed on to them, and who obviously never checked it out to see if legitimate or not. And in that mail, it sometimes says to do such and such to the settings of your computer to avoid the virus or whatever. Then I will reply to them and tell them of the dangers of advising people to change the settings in their computer without even knowing if the virus is legit and without consulting an IT guy to see if the solution can do more harm than good.

There are still lots of people on computers who really just know how to turn them on, do a bit of e-mail, a Google search and that is about it. and those people should not be changing anything on their computer period.

foofighter15 · 11-02-2007, 09:46 AM

what's the snopes link? I almost clicked it then realized it might not be the best idea.

But these emails just show how stupid people are. Its the reverse Darwinism. The one's who would normally die by leaning on a window that isn't there on the top floor of a building believe these emails and keep them going. So chain mail would be called Unnatural Selection then?

ken0042 · 11-02-2007, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foofighter15

what's the snopes link? I almost clicked it then realized it might not be the best idea.

Just click on it if you don't know.

Burninator · 11-02-2007, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foofighter15

what's the snopes link? I almost clicked it then realized it might not be the best idea.

The snopes link is fine. They are a debunking site. The link is to the page where they say all emails that claim they track the forwards are fake, and Bill Gates isn't going to send you a check.

Burninator · 11-02-2007, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

It all depends on where she is on my personal ladder theory.

Actually it was a guy who sent it. The original part of the email had a female lawyer claim that it's for realz. But the guy who sent it is someone I haven't talked to in years, but was a good friend then.

foofighter15 · 11-02-2007, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burninator

Actually it was a guy who sent it. The original part of the email had a female lawyer claim that it's for realz. But the guy who sent it is someone I haven't talked to in years, but was a good friend then.

Now I've seen everything

ken0042 · 11-02-2007, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burninator

Actually it was a guy who sent it.

And he didn't use BCC?

Then yes, you reply to all with the snopes link, and about 6 others (or as many as you can find.)

Either that, or you reply to all with a big LOL and go on about how that was an awesome blast from the past, and how amazing it is to remember how stupid people were about the internet back in the 90's; ie pretending that you believe he must have sent it off as a joke.

BlackArcher101 · 11-02-2007, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burninator

So now do I "reply all" and send a bunch of people I don't know the snopes link? Or do I not act like an Internet know-it-all and leave them to send it to more morans? What do you folks do when people send you scam emails?

What I do depends on who it came from. I either:

a) If email is from a person not related to my current employment, I will reply to all with a snopes link and further explain to them about dumb e-mails. As well, I send a threat that if I receive one more of these e-mails, their e-mail is going to be blocked/blacklisted and I won't get their e-mail. This works quite well as they get the point but there is the odd time that a good friend will have his e-mail blocked. I have a low tolerance for BS/stupidity and someones status does not affect the outcome. The funny part is when they reply to my snopes saying "Why do you have to be so dumb, we're just having fun". Ya sure...

b) If e-mail is from a coworker or person I have contact with regarding work I cannot block them obviously. I do however send the snopes link in a reply to all message. Nothing like embarrassing a sales agent in front of his prospective clients.

MaDMaN_26 · 11-02-2007, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

It all depends on where she is on my personal ladder theory.

LOL

The Goon · 11-02-2007, 10:31 AM

I get scam emails all the time from my parents, and every one I reply to with a link from Snopes debunking it. Usually it's a variation of "so-and-so is racist" (Andy Rooney, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.)

I cannot believe people are still forwarding the Bill Gates one in 2007. Brutal.

arsenal · 11-02-2007, 10:37 AM

I can't wait for the teddy bear icon .exe "virus" to go around again.

The Goon · 11-02-2007, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arsenal

I can't wait for the teddy bear icon .exe "virus" to go around again.

Oh my God - I remember that. I was working at IBM six years ago and this lady sent that email to IBM Canada's entire software department. I was at a conference that day, and I checked my email later in the night to find that email and dozens of furious responses. What a cluster######.

burnin_vernon · 11-02-2007, 03:53 PM

I just got the same email from a diehard Nucks fan to whom I replied with a snopes link and a comment about it being older than Vancouver's Stanley Cup.

I love showing these people the light. I have a buddy who was crushed when I told him that Mr. Rogers really wasn't a Vietnam killing mcahine

Engine09 · 11-02-2007, 03:59 PM

I have a friend who sends me embarrassing garbage like that. I sent him the snopes links to a few but he isn't catching on so I've just started deleting immediately.

Azure · 11-02-2007, 06:02 PM

I swear it could say 'click here to blow up your computer' and people would still click.

lifer · 11-02-2007, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foofighter15

Now I've seen everything

lol. Just wait until the next election, you might see one voting