Email giving away free money - presume this is a hoax, can anyone confirm please?

[WideWebWitch]

I'm sure this is a scam but not sure how, i.e what the original sender has to gain from it, but can anyone confirm it? I've been sent a forwarded email by my mum (who isn't in the habit of sending me emails, let alone this kind of stuff) which says that Microsoft and AOL are conducting email beta testing (mmm, dodgy already!) and if I forward the email to loads of other people I will get some money from Bill Gates. Yeah right. I'm assuming this is a hoax but can anyone confirm so I can tell her and all the friends and family she's forwarded it to? Reading the title I've given this thread I feel a bit silly even asking since I'm pretty sure it is but TIA anyway

Actually, don't bother replying anyone, I've looked it up and emailed my mum to tell her! But if anyone else gets this email it is a hoax. Details here

message withdrawn

Ref. Hoax emails - there's another site that was recommended to me if you want to check if an e-mail is 'iffy' - it's 'BreakThe Chain.org'
Sorry, don't know how to insert sites.

On a similar note, there's a Petition Against War on Iraq which purports to be from the UN which is doing the rounds.

The UN have a notice on their website that they don't organise petitions and that people should contact their own government.

So if you get it - please don't forward it on - and write back to whoever you rec'd it form telling them to pass that info to whoever they sent it on to.

www, I was sent that email by somebody who I always assumed to be quite switched on, so I thought if he thought it was OK it must be and I sent it on to loads of people. Felt a right berk later.

But I didn't read it properly and apparently it says something like "Microsoft and AOL have merged". And of course they haven't (we'd have heard.) (And they wouldn't be allowed to anyway!)

janh - I did the same as you - thought it must be true and also felt VERY silly after - especially as I never send on chain letters!

I had that one too, from a Mum I bought something from on UK Parents. I didn't forward it and also was annoyed to think my email was being sent around to all and sundry.

Good point, jodee! I can't be certain now, as it was a while ago, but I think it was after that I started getting porn spam, and only on my hotmail address which was the one I used - another good reason not to forward chain emails.

The ones I hate getting, and all are along the same themes, are the stories about how drink driving affects lives. Even if the stories aren't true, they are good in a way, but then it always says something like "If you have a heart, email this to at least 10 people and your good deed will come back to you within 1 day, email to five people and your good deed will be repaid within a week....etc" which just really puts me off and IMO ruins what is otherwise a good message.
Also the ones claiming to be parents of children who are suffering life-threatening illnesses, also saying that they will get money from Microsoft if the email is sent to as many people as possible. If they are all hoaxes (and I suspect they are), then they are extremely sick. These days I don't bother with any email like that, I delete them straight away.