Welcome to another edition of The Weekly Geek.
This week I want to keep it short, so let’s get straight to the material. Since many of you will be buying a new computer for Christmas, the first thing you will want to do is add some software program(s) that you did not get. Please only buy from e-mails you requested and know sources (like us, or www.newegg.com). Do not purchase from a random e-mail.
Among spammers there’s trends and fads, and I’m not getting so many offers to enlarge my bodily parts these days, but I am getting more and more offers for cheap software – especially Microsoft Office and Symantec products but cheap “security” software ads / scams proliferate my email and are part of “drive-by-downloads”.
Most offers are quite primitive but some look a bit more sincere – we’ve seen one that’s a decent copy of a familiar Amazon product page. Naturally it has nothing to do with Amazon.
Please, I beg of you, just delete these offers without a second thought.
Even if you did get something in the mail for your money, it’s certain to be an illegal copy. More likely your money would disappear into someone’s laughing pockets never to be seen again.
Over the years, we’ve heard from people who have paid money to these con-artists and get angry when they get some obviously pirated CD’s. Amazingly their anger isn’t at the retailer, but rather they blame Microsoft! We’ve had emails from people who expect Microsoft to make good their loss. As you know, we’re always ready to blame Microsoft when they get things wrong – but the gullibility of a shopper isn’t their fault.
It stands to reason that if someone unknown to you offers eg. Office Professional upgrade for $50 when it retails for $330, then there’s something screwy going on.
If you believe stories about it being unwanted stock, a sale from a bankrupt business or whatever – then we have some bridges in select locations around the world that we can offer at reasonable rates.
I say it again – don’t be tempted, just delete the messages and move on.
Well I said I would keep it short, so have a great Christmas and a pirated software free New Year.