Claim: Employee of a law firm sends nonchalant message about replacement of a murdered secretary.
Example:[Collected on the Internet, 2001]
From: Morgan, Pauline
Sent: 16 March 2001 11:39
To: All Hong Kong Executives
Cc: HK Reception; Chiu, Sarah
Subject: 24th Floor Night Secretary
Please note that our night secretary, Natalie Francisco (24th Floor), has been murdered. The replacements are as follows:
Friday 16th March Winnie Wong, her station is 2436-2,ext. 3129
Monday 19th March Vicky Chan, her station is 2439-1,ext. 3172
They will stay until 9:00pm. If you need any extra assistance, please contact me as soon as possible.
Many thanks
Pauline
Origins: You'd think lawyers would have learned better than to play stupid e-mail tricks after the Clair Swire brouhaha, but no such luck. A trainee solicitor at the Hong Kong office of Herbert Smith faced disciplinary action for having created and sent a message that "falsely stated a secretary in the Hong Kong office of Herbert Smith had been murdered and then dispassionately gave the names of two replacements," a message which was forwarded on to the Internet world at large by a fellow trainee in Herbert Smith's London office. According to news reports, "Not until [a week later] did staff realised they had been the victims of a hoax and that the woman was alive and well."
Last updated: 30 October 2007
Sources:
Verkaik, Robert. "Lawyers Sent E-Mail Hoax About 'Murder' of Secretary."
Sources: