A colleague received the following email and wanted my opinion on
whether it was genuine or not.
--- start of email message ---
From: <luke.edhouse@bt.com>
To: <luke.edhouse@bt.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 10:53 AM
Subject: Free BT Total Broadband for up to 6 months*!
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MAIL
Free BT Total Broadband for up to 6 months*!
We're looking for existing BT Total Broadband customers to take part in
our next generation speed broadband trial. In return for your
participation we'll give you your broadband free for up to 6 months.
What you will get - for FREE
You can choose which broadband line you would like to test this service
on:
a). Your current BT broadband line:
you will get free broadband on this line for the duration of the trial.
b). a new, second BT broadband line:
our engineers will install a new line for you free of charge, and for
the duration of the trial you will get free broadband plus a call
allowance of £50 per quarter inc VAT for your telephone service
on this new line as well as free line rental. If you choose this option
you will have to continue to pay for the Broadband service on your
primary line.
c). you may also opt to test the service on both your current broadband line
and on a new secondary line:
You get free broadband on both lines with the call allowance on the new second
line (as well as free line rental) for the duration of the trial.
What we need you to do in return
All we ask is that you complete some online surveys so we can make sure our
new service is adapted in line with our customers' needs.
What you need to do now
Register your interest by clicking this link register
<https://www2.formwize.com/run/survey3.cfm?id=955>
We will check some basic compatibility and inform you by email if you
are eligible. We will then send you full terms and conditions for the
offer and an FAQ, which will hopefully answer any questions you may
have. If you don't hear from us within 4 weeks from the date of this
email then it's likely your application hasn't met the trial
requirements.
What happens at the end of the trial?
Don't worry you are under no obligation whatsoever to pay for the new
line or service (if we installed one).You will revert to your original
BT Total Broadband agreement with us, which will carry on under its
usual terms. If you went for options (b) or (c) as explained above, then
we will simply cease the second line after the trial ends.
Best Regards
BT Total Broadband Team
*Terms and Conditions
Bill credit will be provided for the 6 month trial period, unless single
secondary line trial (option b) is taken. You are required to use the
service regularly for the full duration of the trial and to complete a
survey. If you cease the trial before the end of the 6 month period any
bill credits relating to the remaining trial period will be removed from
your bill and you will revert to your standard BT Total Broadband
charges and terms. Charges remain payable for calls outside of any call
allowance and for any additional services already on your broadband
service such as BB Talk or BT Net Protect.
Luke Edhouse
BT Field Trials Operator
PP6 MLB1 Orion Building, Adastral Park
Martlesham Heath, Ipswich IP5 3RE
Email: luke.edhouse@bt.com
British Telecommunications plc
Registered office: 81 Newgate Street London EC1A 7AJ
Registered in England no. 1800000 This electronic message contains
information from British Telecommunications plc which may be privileged
and confidential. The information is intended to be for the use of the
individual(s) or entity named above. If you are not the intended
recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of
the contents of this information is prohibited. If you have received
this electronic message in error, please notify us by telephone or email
(to the number or address above) immediately. Activity and use of the
British Telecommunications plc email system is monitored to secure its
effective operation and for other lawful business purposes.
Communications using this system will also be monitored and may be
recorded to secure effective operation and for other lawful business
purposes.
--- end of email message ---
I found it very difficult to tell. In the end my reply to him was as follows,
but it would be interesting to know what others think.
At first sight, it has some of the main hallmarks of a fake, but it does
have some _very_ convincing features which then made me think it was
genuine. In the end I decided it was an extrememly well thought out
forgery designed to harvest contact information or even slam your BT
line. There are just too many "bad" points to counter the very good
ones.
These are some key features which impressed me:
- "PP6 MLB1 Orion Building, Adastral Park" is a very plausible address.
It doesn't appear in Google, though "MLB1 Orion Building" does, and
there is a group "PP6" at Adastral Park, though never mentioned in the
context of the Orion Building. That's very convincing.
- "Bill credit will be provided for the 6 month trial period," the
conditions here look very BT-like.
- "Formwize" who host the questionnaire response look respectable and
the response is dealt with at an https URL, not an http one which most
fraudsters would use.
These suggested it was fake:
- From: <luke.edhouse@bt.com> To: <luke.edhouse@bt.com>
That's a spammers trick, I don't believe BT would use it.
- Details can't be viewed on the web - they only tell you the terms and
conditions _after_ you've filled the form in. There's no verifiable web
link at all - extremely disreputable - this I think is the crunch
decider.
- "our engineers will install a new line". They couldn't, it would have
to be Openreach technicians.
- "Luke Edhouse, BT Field Trials Operator" a real BT communication would
almost certainly be from a "Manager" not an "Operator"
- the form to be filled in is american, assuming everyone has a
"city" in their address, not a mistake BT is likely to make.
- and finally - the first reaction which you no doubt had, and is always
worth relying on, that if it seems to good to be true - it probably is.
Anything which is offered free is usually only free provided you pay
enough for it.
--
Tim Clark
(