(5/1/2003) For decades, chain letters have used scare tactics to get people to forward them. This one uses a blend of sympathy pleas, threats and fictional technology to frighten its readers.

SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT At June 6 ,1999, A woman ,whose name is Ayumi Tachibana , was killed after raped. She was only 19 years old. She was raped , beaten and beaten till her face became swelled up, and her hypogastrium was stabbed again and again ,,,until she died. Each different semen was found from a dead body. Perhaps Several men raped and killed her. She was my fiance. I loved her so much. I loved her more than any of all over the world. I hate who killed her. I will kill the guy who killed her. I will kill the guy who killed her. I will kill the guy who killed her. I will kill the guy who killed her. I will kill the guy who killed her..... She was three months pregnant. She had my child. I loved my child very much , but someone robbed me of my child. I never forgive them! I will torture the criminals who killed her and child ,more than in the same way and kill! I decided it so. I made a plan to find criminals. That plan is to find criminals . I discover the guy who stop this E-mail. By using a mail program, I can find out who stopped this E-mail program. This program find out the place where the guy who stop this E-mail is , from the positional information of a personal computer , a cellular phone which an email has. Please send this E-mail to 10 people within 24 hours if you receive this E-mail. You had better send this email to 10 people within 24 hours for your own security. If you stop this E-mail ,and when I think that you looks strange , I will come and kill you. I will kill you even if you are woman. I already killed 14 people till now. Eight people were women among 14 people. If you really didn't kill my lover , please send this email to 10 people within 24 hours. -------------------------------------------------------- You never arrange this program code below. I always know where this email is , and so, when this code is changed, I regard you as a criminal and come to kill you. {positional information}="fiusfhsfhgfygyua"= "AHREF=CGI.MXVZCWD.AYUMI.TACHIBANA-PLAN.?/ CGI-BIN/TACHIBANA-PLAN"=:@]/:.:;kko:s;@[;pwp@; @sp44u983909u089y850ulkpgpok@plwokmfkgpls@p @wlkwjgl@;g@ka@kfvjifugfifjprpg@]l@:lrjp:qrk @ypepiqjropitopkjt454645498497;foowlg@wgkblk @phkjow@iufh8756898u98ty89ygy7yr90t9ut9yruig fgwiuyil[jopk@pgo@pog@phkhopjeaiojgwogpo goeih-0jpigpoejgpoekg@peig@pgi@0eio0gf6tyh937 ht9ht98hgfhioj0ru09t809i2y983t8-0qtuituq0t9 -utht98ut98u0fj9ity89ytytoiu9pty97y87509857989 867809i9pjohiughwiojfouho@wmrklwntijwhriuwhrwio iowoiut587yroihwfhoiwhfiuhfoiwjfowgfiuy98wpojfoiwut 0utpoijfoiwyt98wutowt90wu9u90uoiugf83t87h8yugf8yror 82r9hr828uui79u2vhutouyuiqyr8oofhewyu0938j98ur099 p5u9082u9r90p87ty829oi298uokfjiwgfy908yr8928r92hryw 8rwiuyro8hr8r78y89yt8u98y89tu9tu90utowuiutyti 84yh98y=nfiuhu93ut9wjoijwoiht038utoiwhjt0iwhtu93 u3t0ut03u0t934ut903iut93qu903q//CGI-BIN/TACHIBANA-PLAN/> --------------------------------------------------------- You can send 5 people from here (http://internetchurch.tripod.co.jp/)! ----Good Luck!!!!! (Mary) Because I did a really fearful experience, I send it . I'm sorry.(John) It came to take a Silent telephone at the midnight since this email came. Sorry,I turn this. I am scared, so,I send it. Sorry.---T.N. Sorry, I turn this mail to you. / H.M. I was really attacked by a stranger at a road at night. Sorry, I send this. Just after that I received this mail my friend was run over by a car. I send this. Sorry. /Tom I turn to you anyway, sorry. Sorry, I turn this. Good Luck./ Mitt. END CHAIN LETTER TEXT

Previous "E-mail tracking" hoaxes have promised free money or products, donations to needy causes and effortless activism. It was the logical next step for a hoaxter to apply it to a "forward or die" chain letter.

Let's get right to the point: There is no such program that can track an e-mail and tell its originator what each of its recipients does with it. It is technologically impossible. The block of gibberish represented as the "program code" is just that - gibberish. If you look closely at it, you'll see familiar patterns caused by a typist hitting random keys on the keyboard.

Another sign this is the work of a bored hoaxter is the name of the authors supposed fiancee. Ayumi Tachibana is the heroine of a series of japanese detective video games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. She is often mentioned in lists of "sexiest video game characters" on gamer's bulletin boards and is an understandable choice for a meddlesome hoaxter to choose as a fictional lover.

While most people don't really believe the premise of this chain, they forward it anyway, not willing to gamble on a life-or-death proposition. After all, what can it hurt, right? Chain letters can hurt plenty. E-mail offers no privacy protections, and schemes like this are often used to collect e-mail addresses for spamming purposes. In addition, a threatening chain letter like the one above could actually be considered menacing or harassing in some jurisdictions, with legal ramifications. Break this chain.

Category: General Junk
References: None

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