Just very recently, news about free Ericsson WAP laptops broke out like SARS over the internet. Maybe one of you might have received this message in your inbox:

Dear All,

The Ericsson Company is distributing free computer laptops in an attempt to match what Nokia has already done. Ericsson hopes to increase its popularity this way. For this reason, they are giving away the WAP Laptops. All you need to qualify is to send this email to 8 people you know. Within 2 weeks, you will receive Ericsson T18.

But if you can send it to 20 people or more, you will receive R320.

Make sure you send a copy to: anna.swelung@ericsson.com

Cheers and enjoy your laptop when it comes!

Ericsson T18

This was indeed good news especially to someone who has always wanted to own a laptop. So if you’re pretty excited about this free offer, take a look at the prizes first. Not even one of them is a camera phone.

Surprisingly, this email offer has been around since the late 1990’s and Ericsson’s female ghost employee Anna Swelung was formerly known as Anna Swelund. Ericsson has been bombarded with queries they had to set-up an Anna Swelund email with an auto-respone message denying such offer. At Ericsson’s website, the company has also posted similar statement to set the rumors straight:

5: Is it true that you are giving away mobile phones? Please give me Anna Swelunds e-mail address.

No, Ericsson is not giving away phones for free. The chain letter is a fraud.

[First published 10 April 2000]

R320

A chain letter is currently in circulation via e-mail, purporting that Ericsson is giving away mobile phones. The e-mail is a fraud and Ericsson is not giving away phones for free. The following is an
extract from the letter:

“If you forward it [the letter] to 20 friends, you will receive a brand new Ericsson phone.”

The letter is signed off Anna Swelund, Executive Promotion Manager for Ericsson Marketing. This person does not exist at Ericsson. The legal and IT departments at Ericsson will trace the person who initiated the illegal chain letter. Ericsson is sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused and kindly ask people not to forward the chain mail further.

From marketing perspective, no company in its right mind would give out cellphones, laptops, houses, cars or even a tankless water heater without any return. Companies out there intend to sell their products and make profit, and not reward people for spamming inboxes.

See related posts:

• October 10, 2008 -- Grakomindo: Cheap mobile phone deals