A scam email that is currently hitting inboxes purports to be from Microsoft Support and claims that your message was not sent.
The email has no connection to Microsoft and nothing to do with any unsent messages. It includes a “more information” link as well as a button that supposedly opens the unsent message.
Clicking either the link or the button opens a fraudulent website that claims that you have been chosen to receive a prize. But, to claim your prize, you are told that you must first complete one or more surveys. If you follow the survey links, you will be urged to complete a survey, play an online game, or take up an offer.
Supposedly, by participating you will be given the chance to win further prizes. But, to participate, you must provide your name and contact details. The details you provide will be shared with site sponsors and third-party marketing companies. So, soon after participating you will begin receiving unwanted and annoying phone calls, text messages, emails, and letters promoting a variety of products and services that you most likely neither want nor need.
And, alas, you will never receive the promised prize no matter how many surveys you complete. Scams like this are very common and are often distributed via Facebook and text message as well as email.
An example of the scam email:
Importance Notice
After considerable thought and with an ache in my heart, I have decided that the time has come to close down the Hoax-Slayer website.These days, the site does not generate enough revenue to cover expenses, and I do not have the financial resources to sustain it going forward.
Moreover, I now work long hours in a full-time and physically taxing job, so maintaining and managing the website and publishing new material has become difficult for me.
And finally, after 18 years of writing about scams and hoaxes, I feel that it is time for me to take my fingers off the keyboard and focus on other projects and pastimes.
When I first started Hoax-Slayer, I never dreamed that I would still be working on the project all these years later or that it would become such an important part of my life. It's been a fantastic and engaging experience and one that I will always treasure.
I hope that my work over the years has helped to make the Internet a little safer and thwarted the activities of at least a few scammers and malicious pranksters.
A Big Thank You
I would also like to thank all of those wonderful people who have supported the project by sharing information from the site, contributing examples of scams and hoaxes, offering suggestions, donating funds, or helping behind the scenes.I would especially like to thank David White for his tireless contribution to the Hoax-Slayer Facebook Page over many years. David's support has been invaluable, and I can not thank him enough.
Closing Date
Hoax-Slayer will still be around for a few weeks while I wind things down. The site will go offline on May 31, 2021. While I will not be publishing any new posts, you can still access existing material on the site until the date of closure.Thank you, one and all!
Brett Christensen,
Hoax-Slayer
