Bill Gates email is top hoax

A Bill Gates chain letter has become the biggest hoax on the internet, according to anti-virus company Sophos.

A chart of the most commonly encountered email chain letters, virus hoaxes and scams, sees Microsoft boss Bill Gates lead the way.

If your Inbox has escaped the Bill Gates email chain letter, which claims that Microsoft's chairman is sharing his wealth with everyone who forwards the email to a friend, count yourself lucky.

Many people have been taken in by the tempting promise of '$245 for every person that you send it to that forwards it on.'

"Obviously emails like this are nonsense, and should be deleted by computer users rather than forwarded on to their friends, family and colleagues," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

"Hoaxers are capitalising on the fact he is a well-known figure with oodles of cash," added Cluely. "Hoaxes can be worse than viruses because they persist. At least viruses can be killed off by anti-virus software."

www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/recent