Microsoft Smuggles Discounts Into Pirated Office Apps To Charm Users Into Light
Photo 69434098 © Dennizn | Dreamstime.com
While Microsoft has touched most lives in one way or another, there’s still one group of users it is hoping to convert. They’re—wait for it—pirates.
As Ghacks reports, pirated versions of the Microsoft Office suite now display a red ribbon offering limited-time discounts of up to 50% for “a genuine Microsoft 365 subscription.” Users are then led to a page with a message that reads, “Pirated software exposes your PC to security threats.”
On the page, Microsoft cites potential attacks, corrupted files, data loss, inability to edit files, and even identity theft as some of the threats users might face for installing illegal software.
Of course, users who have dabbled with pirated software with no obvious consequences might ignore the warning, so the company is hoping positive reinforcements will work. Just for them, personal Microsoft 365 subscriptions are just US$35 at checkout, while Family memberships will only set them back US$50.
Only thing—since Microsoft 365 is an annual service, converts would have to pay double next year, or seek out lower-priced options that are hopefully legal.
[via Gizmodo, cover photo 69434098 © Dennizn | Dreamstime.com]
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