Normally a new online service announces itself via a news story when the service achieves a remarkable uptake level. Another service might advertise on frequented sites. But you don't often see a new service from Google being advertised via spam. That's what happened in my case, and I must admit to being puzzled. Here's what I received in an email from a stange-looking domain. When I tried to respond to the address I got a failure notice. There's no doubt about it: this is spam. But why?

Hello my name is Julia
I send you this email to tell you important news about Google.

Google will soon launch a great reading platform called YouMagzi a site like YouTube.
Magazines, books, newspapers, comics,brochures ... free or paid ,all in one site.
This site was Created by a French teenager 20 years ,unknown for now. He copied the YouTube site entirely, and also logo. may be the next Mark Zuckerberg of the silicon valley,I don't know...
Google's contacted the young french , 1 month ago, because the idea of French, is enormous !
This site would aim to dethrone Facebook and twitter.

There was also a mysterious-sounding close:

A friend working at Google told me, Please don't said who you say this. I don't want problems !
I await more news and I tell you more soon

So I naturally googled YouMagzi only to find that the service had launched earlier this year. But it was one I had not heard about. Of course, it doesn't look as though it would "dethrone Facebook and Twitter" as my mystery correspondent augured in her cryptic email. What was the point? To tell me that a French national had invented the new service? How could I imagine that the spam had any point - it was sent to my website email address, and I'm a journalist. Were they looking to give me a scoop? It's been online for almost a year. Were they trying to drum up interest? Surely Google couldn't be behind the spam scam.

I remain puzzled. Any suggestions?