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Perceived spam: chain e-mail and hoaxes
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Chain E-Mail
Sending chain e-mail is not permitted under the Hotmail terms of use. If you receive an e-mail asking you to forward to at least 10 people (otherwise something will happen), don't read it and don't forward it. Delete it! Or, you may report it.
Click here for a visual guide to reporting chain e-mail or hoaxes
Hotmail Hoaxes
Since 1999, many chain e-mails have surfaced claiming that Hotmail was going to delete your account if you did not send the mail you received to at least 10 friends. If you see one of these messages remember the following points:
- Hotmail does not forward messages ('Subject' line contains 'FW')
- Hotmail does not send chain e-mail
- Hotmail Support will never ask for your current password or secret answer
- Hotmail Support will never contact you without you having contacted us
Some companies or individuals forge the ‘headers’ on an email message and some add the recipient’s email address (your address) or (your) account name into the header to try and make it appear more authentic. Others take the name of the recipient’s account and forge it alongside a different domain name, in order to make it seem plausible.
Hoaxes from my friends
Some hoaxes are sent with the best intentions and, because they are from friends, are not as easy to ignore as other junk e-mail. Be wary of any mail, regardless of the source, which asks you to delete files or folders on your machine.
See these sites for an overview of the issues
Virtual Myths
Hoaxbusters
Financial Hoaxes
Get rich quick schemes are generally easy to spot, but try to keep in mind the following when reading forwarded mail: if it's too good to be true, it isn't.
All personal information like passwords, credit card and pin numbers should be guarded closely. Be especially vigilant with mails claiming that your account will be closed if you do not reply - although some may be legitimate, many more are sent with the intent of making you leap without looking. Be aware that it is not difficult to create a site which looks like the one actually holding your details, thus giving the impression of legitimacy.
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