The GAP Clothing Giveaway/Email Tracking Hoax
by Bruce P. Burrell (bpb@umich.edu)
for the U-M Virus Busters (virus.busters@umich.edu)
Last significant update: 31 March, 2000
This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the
information is unmodified.
A silly hoax. Thanks to
Chris Beecher for first alerting us to this hoax.
Update: See The
GAP's disclaimer of this nonsense. Thanks to Michelle M. Rolston for telling us about The
GAP's rebuttal of these claims.
First of all, if true, it would bankrupt The GAP. See the analysis of the
numbers, as well as the hoax on which this one is based, in the Microsoft Email Tracking Hoax.
Here is some of the text of the hoax, which we first saw on 8 June, 1999:
> >>>>>>>Abercrombie & Fitch have recently merged to form the largest hottie
> >>>>>>>outfitter company in the world!
Uh oh. That's 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8! levels of indenting, indicating it's been
forwarded 8 times already. This is a Bad Sign for it being true.
We're now on high hoax alert.
> >>>>>>>In an effort to remain at pace with this giant, the GAP has
> >>>>>>>introduced a new email tracking system
Definitely a hoax, as given away by the claim of an "email tracking
system".
No such thing (outside of national security agency-type places, anyway).
> >>>>>>>to determine who has the most loyal followers.
... and who likes the most tacky clothes??
> >>>>>>>This email is a beta test of the new clothing line and GAP has
> >>>>>>>generously offered to compensate those who participate in
> >>>>>>>the testing process. For each person you send this e-mail to,
> >>>>>>>you will be given a pair of cargo pants. For every person they
> >>>>>>>give it to, you will be given an additional Hawaiian print
> >>>>>>>T-shirt, for every person they send it to, you will recieve a
> >>>>>>>fishermans hat!
Would serve them right.
The finances are obviously ludicrous. No way.
> >>>>>>>GAP will tally all the emails produced under your name over a two
> >>>>>>>week period and then email you with more instructions.
Check the math, by analogy, with the
Microsoft
Email Tracking Hoax.
> >>>>>>>If you wish to speed up the clothes receiving process" then you
> >>>>>>>can email the GAP's P.R. rep for a free list of email addresses
> >>>>>>>to try, at...."gollygap@yahoo.com"
Hmmm. Why Yahoo, when the Gap has its own web site? Why isn't this
mentioned at The Gap's web
site (leaving our site)?
Simple answer: because it is a hoax.
> >>>>>>>I had a friend do this and he got a ton of clothes sent to him in
> >>>>>>>the mail.
Liar liar, pants on fire. Cargo pants, soaked in gasoline.
> >>>>>>>Try it, you never know!!!
This sounds like Dr Seuss, written for a parallel universe. One
populated by people wearing cargo pants and Hawaiian shirts. No need
to shield themselves from the sun with the fisherman's cap, though -- the
damage is already done.
> >>>>>>>Send this to everyone and tell them to send it to everyone!!!
Take a long walk off a short pier, foolish hoaxter.
I hereby dub thee HOAX, with all the ridicule, dishonor, and loathing
thereunto appertaining.
Please do not forward this -- or any other hoax -- to all
your friends.
Instead, you should reply to the sender -- and as far back up the email
chain as you have energy -- informing the originators that this is a hoax.
For this particular hoax, I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL
(http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/gap.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page
(http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable
site, like DataFellows (leaving our site).
-BPB
Last updated:
Wednesday, 02-Jan-2002 17:52:25 EST.
University of Michigan Virus Busters - virus.busters@umich.edu
visits to this page since 08 June 1999 18:30 EDT