UK INTERNET REGISTER

This letter comes through the post from a German company urging you to return the form with your current details for the UK Internet Register, with the ability to state up to three search keys. In small writing at the bottom, it lets you know that the advertisement costs £639 per year.

Just a word of warning to find out what they will be doing for you before you send this form back ... is this a scam? Decide for yourself!

http://www.quickwhois.co.uk/blog/uk-internet-register-scam.html

Bill Gates is sharing is Fortune

Subject: PLEEEEEEASE REEEEEAD! IT WASON GOOD MORNING AMERICA TODAY SHOW...

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.

Advice: This is a hoax, Bill Gates isn't sharing his fortune via chain letter, why would he? No merger between Microsoft and AOL has been announced. AOL are Microsoft's main competitor. If they were to merge, you would have seen it in the headlines a thousand times over. Microsoft cannot track the chain letters you forward.

Olympic Torch which "burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer

Subject: Warning READ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Get this sent around to your contacts ASAP...we don't need this spreading around.....

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS:

You should be alert during the next days:

Do not open any message with an attached filed called "Invitation" regardless of who sent it, It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which "burns" the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called "invitation", though sent by a friend,do not open it and shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.

This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus.

This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW, COPY THIS E-MAIL AND SEND! IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US.

Advice: Ignore any messages regarding this hoax, and please do not forward it to your friends and colleagues. Forwarding unrequested chain letters wastes time and bandwidth.

MSN is closing down

Two examples:

"Hey it is Andy and john the directors of MSN, sorry for the interruption but msn is closing down. this is because too many inconsiderate people are taking up all the name (eg making up lots of different accounts for just one person), we only have 578 names left. If you would like to close your account, DO NOT SEND THIS MESSAGE ON. If you would like to keep your account, then SEND THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST. This is no joke, we will be shutting down the servers. Send it on, thanks. WHO EVER DOES NOT SEND THIS MESSEAGE, YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE CLOSED AND YOU WILL COST ?10.00 A MONTH TO USE. SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST. NOW YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD THIS or REPLAY. COPY THE WHOLE EMAIL. GO BACK TO YOUR INBOX AND CLICK ON NEW. AND PASTE THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION"

"hey everyone, i dont normally send this sort of stuff out but had a look on the internet and its actually true . On the 1st of november , we will have to pay for the use of our MSN and email accounts unless we send this message to at least 18 contacts on your contact list. It's no joke if you don't believe me then go to the site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1189119.stm) (It is an offical BBC News Release) and see for yourself.

Anyways once you've sent this message to at least 18 contacts, your msn dude will become blue. please copy and paste don't forward cos people won't take notice of it"

This hoax message is one more in a long line of similar hoaxes that warn that MSN is changing its free services. If MSN was considering charging for its standard MSN Messenger and email services, they would certainly not base its decision on how many times a message was sent to others. Such claims are ridiculous. EVEN THE WEB LINK IS NOT GENUINE!

There is nothing on the MSN site that confirms the story. I would advise you to delete messages like these, rather than forward them on.

Advice: Ignore any messages regarding this hoax, and please do not forward it to your friends and colleagues. Forwarding unrequested chain letters wastes time and bandwidth.

WTC Survivor

There are several versions of this hoax.

The text of the first version of this hoax reads as follows:

I received this from a reliable family friend this morning. 10/28/01 BIG TROUBLE !!!! DO NOT OPEN "WTC Survivor" It is a virus that will erase your whole "C" drive. It will come to you in the form of an E-Mail from a familiar person. I repeat a friend sent it to me, but called and warned me before I opened it. He was not so lucky and now he can't even start his computer! Forward this to everyone in your address book. I would rather receive this 25 times than not not all.

If you receive an email called "WTC Survivor" do not open it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all dynamic link libraries (.dll files) from your computer. This is a serious one.

The text of the second version of this hoax reads as follows:

During the next several weeks be VERY cautious about opening or launching any e-mails that refer to the World Trade Centre or 9/11 in any way, regardless of who sent it. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, "WTC" STANDS FOR THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE. REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT RIGHT AWAY, THINKING ITS A STORY RELATING TO 9/11!

BIGGGG TROUBLE !!!! DO NOT OPEN "WTC Survivor" It is a virus that will erase your whole "C" drive. It will come to you in the form of an E-Mail from a familiar person. I repeat, a friend sent it to me, but called and warned me before I opened it. He was not so lucky and now he can't even start his computer!

Forward this to everyone in your address book. I would rather receive this 25 times than not at all. So, if you receive an email called "WTC Survivor", do not open it. Delete it right away! This virus removes all dynamic link libraries (.dll files) from your computer.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE

Advice: Ignore any messages regarding this hoax, and please do not forward it to your friends and colleagues. Forwarding unrequested chain letters wastes time and bandwidth.

Domain Registry of America Hoax

Subject: Domain Registry of America

I've had numerous letters from this company calling themselves "Domain Registry of America" asking me to renew domains that I know are not registered with them.

"As a courtesy to domain name holders, we are sending you this notification of the domain name registration that is due to expire in the next few months. When you switch today to the Domain Registry of America, you can take advantage of our best savings. Your registration for: domainname.com will expire on March 31, 2006. Act today!"

They are apparently also sending out emails asking you to renew your domain.

Advice: DO NOT SEND THIS COMPANY ANY MONEY!

Life is beautiful Hoax

Subject: URGENT! VIRUS!

This information arrived this morning, from Microsoft and Norton. Please send it to everybody you know who accesses the Internet.

You may receive an apparently harmless email with a PowerPoint presentation called "Life is beautiful.pps."

Advice: Ignore any messages regarding this hoax, and please do not forward it to your friends and colleagues. Forwarding unrequested chain letters wastes time and bandwidth.

Jamie Bulger Hoax

This chain letter has been circulating since January 2001 - and refers to a real crime. It started when UK courts decided to grant the murderers anonymity for the rest of their lives.

Do you recall this incident - it had national news coverage:

On February 12, 1993 a small boy who was to turn three in March was taken from a shopping mall in Liverpool by two 10 year old boys. Jamie Bulger walked away from his mother for only a second and Jon Venables took his hand and led him out of the mall with his friend Robert Thompson.

Advice: Ignore any messages regarding this hoax, and please do not forward it to your friends and colleagues. Forwarding unrequested chain letters wastes time and bandwidth.