ALKHOBAR: I received an e-mail yesterday that made me furious. The mail read: “Ericsson is distributing free laptops for their brand promotion. They hope to increase their popularity and sale by this campaign. All you need to do is send an e-mail about this promotion to 8 people and you will receive an Ericsson T18 Laptop. However, if you send an e-mail to 20 or more people, you will receive an Ericsson R320 Laptop. Make sure you send a copy to: [email protected].”
The e-mail was sent to me by a young, well-educated Saudi who should never have indulged in forwarding such a stupid, hoax chain e-mail. Even worse, I could see that the e-mail chain in this communication started with a manager at Gulf Air.
Ericsson is extremely unhappy about these chain e-mails, which have proliferated globally. A note posted on its website reads:
“Ericsson is not giving away free phones or laptops. The chain mail you have received is a fraud and there is no person with the name of Anna Swelund working at Ericsson. At Ericsson, we are constantly looking at new, innovative ways to market ourselves, chain e-mails are not one of them. We kindly ask you not to forward the chain mail further.”
The chain e-mail has two versions. In one, the person is named as Anna Swelung, and in the other it is Anna Swelund. Different versions of the mail offer phones or computers if the mail is circulated. Ericsson considers the e-mail hoax to be an attack on its network resources. The company would be well within its rights to take legal action against those who perpetrate this fraud.
The woman who sent me this chain e-mail exposed my personal e-mail address to untold numbers of people as her e-mail will be passed on to many. I am sure to get a ton of new spam thanks to her carelessness. She could have easily Googled the subject line of the “promotion” and would have known in seconds that this was a fraud as it was listed on hundreds of sites that specialize in exposing Internet hoaxes.
If there really were an Anna Swelund at Ericsson it would be a catastrophe for her! Just imagine how overwhelmed your e-mail would be if somebody put together an e-mail offering something free if everybody would send you an e-mail. How widely do you think that mail would be circulated? Do you think you'd ever get to receive legitimate communications at that e-mail address again? How angry would you be at the perpetrator that started the hoax and at everyone who continued it? Laws in Saudi Arabia allow the prosecution of everyone who participates in such fraud.
That this particular string of the chain e-mail started from a manager at one of the largest companies in Bahrain is appalling.
“This chain e-mail is an attack on Ericsson and it is concerning that a manager at an international company headquartered in the region would consider contributing to such an action — even through ignorance,” said Mirza Asrar Baig, CEO of Riyadh-based IT security firm IT Matrix.
Arab News telephoned the manager in Bahrain and he admitted to casually forwarding the e-mail and only later discovering from friends that it was a hoax. He never mentioned that he was sorry for what he'd done. He forwarded the chain e-mail with his full corporate signature so it was simple to contact him for confirmation of his action. That inconsiderate press of the send button has now spawned thousands of fraudulent e-mails.
According to IT Matrix's CEO, every company, government and non-governmental organization should have a clearly written Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) in regards to the usage of enterprise e-mail resources. Every user of those enterprise e-mail resources should be required to read the policy and sign concurrence with it. Dismissal should be an option if a user disregards the AUP.
“There is now established e-mail etiquette. First, organizations draft an AUP. Then they hold awareness and educational activities to ensure everyone in the organization understands the policies and how the organization's e-mail should be used. Next, everyone in the organization signs the AUP. Finally, there is enforcement,” said Baig. “Network administrators can easily track if mails with multiple ‘Ccs’ are being sent, which indicates a chain e-mail and if an AUP is in place then deterrent action against the individuals involved can be taken.”
Creating and enforcing an AUP protects the organization against legal action from outside individuals and entities. An AUP safeguards a corporate brand. It is also one tool in the fight against Internet crime. The chain e-mail targeting Ericsson is definitely fraud and organizations should band together to fight the perpetuation of such criminal activity. If your Saudi company or organization needs guidance on any of the issues surrounding e-mail Acceptable Usage Policies (AUPs) don’t hesitate to write to [email protected] and get pointed toward the appropriate resources to address your concerns.
