$15,500 offer on 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is a fake

May 16, 12:58 PMFord ExaminerMike Karagozian

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2010 Fusion Hybrid - Real Car - Fake Offer

According to the latest e-mail scam to hit the Internet, Ford Motor Company is offering a special program to sell 500 2010 Fusion Hybrids for $15,500 each.  And if you believe that, there's a bridge to nowhere in Alaska you can also buy.  Obviously, the offer is not legitimate and the e-mail is a hoax.  Ford Motor Company recommends that people delete the email and any attachments. 

Don't mess with the blue oval
I received this e-mail a couple days ago.  I copied the e-mail's header and source info, then forwarded it to a friend of mine who still works for the Corporation.  He forwarded it to Ford's legal counsel.  The legal team is now on the case, and Ford has issued a press release alerting the public.  Warning to e-mail scammers:  Don't mess with Ford Motor Company's name or their oval trademark.  They take these things seriously.  

Too good to be true
Bad grammar and spelling errors are obvious tip-offs to an e-mail scam.  And as the old saying goes, if an offer seems too good to be true it probably is too good to be true.  Here is the actual text of the fake e-mail I received:

From:        Ford Motor Company <news@ford.com>
To:             (my home e-mail address was here)
Subject:   Ford Motor Company OFFERS: Ford Fusion HYBRID Model 2010
Date:        May 14, 2009 8:46 AM
Attachments:  vin.pdf contact_form.pdf.htm

Dear Mr/Ms,
Due to the World Economy Recession, Ford Motor Company, Inc undergo a statistic fall in Sales and result in a drastic financial crisis this last season.  The United States Government has given us the opportunity to bounce back on our feet, but unfortunately we have not achieved the fund necessary.

Therefore, we offer you the opportunity to purchase a very good Auto at half of the price. We decided to pull the sales of 500 cars at a very low price for us to aquire the capital needed to bounce back in business and to use this medium to increase the scale of our valued customers.We offer Ford Fusion HYBRID Model 2010:
-Pricing Information: $15,500Vehicle
-Features:Transmission: Aisin Powersplit eCVT
-AutoPackage: HYBRIDModel: High VersionEngine: 2.5L Atkinson I4
-Exterior: White Platinum Tri-Coat Met
-Interior: Charcoal Black
-VIN: 3FADP0L34AR136254 (more information in the file attached)

The payment shall be made in installments through the bank at 1 month after signing the contract. If you are interested in this offer please fill out the contact form, A representative will contact you about this vehicle within five business day.
Sincerely,

Gary Settles,
Ford Sales Manager
Ford Motor Company
P.O. Box 6248Dearborn, MI 48126

Do not open the attachments
There is no sales manager named Gary Settles.  The whole thing is a scam.  But the attachments are very authentic-looking.  If you get an e-mail like this, delete it.  The e-mail also comes with a PDF of a very authentic-looking Fusion Hybrid window sticker, and a web template where you are asked to provide personal information.  Don't open the attachments or provide any of your personal information.   Maybe I should get a discounted Fusion for alerting Ford about this scam, eh?