Email scams

[646guy]

I've been getting flooded as of late with all of those email scams about someone claiming to have millions in a bank account that they can't get to and want me to help them claim the money, yadda yadda yadda. I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about.

So I decided that rather than just deleting those emails I would actually respond to some of them.

One guy wanted me to pose as someone's relative and I would be given a few million for it. I responded with, "Sure, that sounds like fun. Being caught and tried for fraud and sent to a jail in Ireland sounds like a blast!"

One woman says that she's the daughter of some deposed leader. I told if she performed a few very graphic sexual favors that I'd be all over it.

The sad part is they actually respond back to me and beg me to help them and how I should be ashamed that they aren't taking me seriously. So finally, I told the one person who said that I was "personally recommended" to help them to tell me the FULL NAME of the person that recommended me, how you know them, how I supposedly know them, and if I could verify it with them to make sure it's all legit and THEN I would do it....well that's when they finally stop responding....

Sarcasm, it appears, isn't high on their reading comprehension list....

[Mike n NC]

Here in NC they are urging people to forward all of these to the state AG office for investigation. Don't know if it does any good but I do it anyway.

Mike

[646guy]

Hmmm something I should consider as well...I'll have to look and see if Spitzer is ready to take these guys on as well as all of the finance and insurance fraudsters....

[Jerry]

If I responded to and got the monies that all of those darn right comical emails, Bill Gates would be next in line behind me in the worlds richest people list. No that's wrong, Hamish would be way behind me in the most kilts list and Bill would still be in second place. I'd also be just eccentric instead of a little bit nuts.

[646guy]

If I responded to and got the monies that all of those darn right comical emails, Bill Gates would be next in line behind me in the worlds richest people list. No that's wrong, Hamish would be way behind me in the most kilts list and Bill would still be in second place. I'd also be just eccentric instead of a little bit nuts.

LOL you got that right....imagine how many kilts 10 million could buy....

[Sciuropterus]

Having fun with those scammers is a hobby called "Scambaiting" for some people, the goal is to lead them along for as long as you can, and to get them to do bizzare things to prove their sincerity, like taking a picture of themselves standing on one foot holding an umbrella, or holding signs with unflattering messages that they do not understand. The people that have fun with the scammers often post the funniest results on the web. They also engage the scammers pretending to be fictional characters, it is quite funny. Most of those scam e-mails come from Nigeria (I think e-mail is their biggest export), and the scammers are usually referred to in the scambaiting community as the "Lads from Lagos" or "Lads".

Seriously, they do find victims all the time, and clean them out. Many victims are reluctant to report it, because they know they will look like a fool for falling for it.

See:

http://www.scamorama.com/#antiscam

http://www.419eater.com/index.htm

[Mr. Kilt]

Here in NC they are urging people to forward all of these to the state AG office for investigation. Don't know if it does any good but I do it anyway.

Mike

I get a ton of scam emails regarding Ebay and Paypal. It's amazing how legitimate these emails look, too. I forward every single one to EBay and Paypal, who say they'll investigate. Like your AG office, I don't know if they ever really do anything.

[bubba]

Yup, they mostly originate from Nigeria where they're unlikely to be prosecuted. They bring in enough money that the Govt overlooks it. Nigeria has a huge organized criminal element.

[646guy]

I think I've been inspired.... This could be F-U-N for me

[Graham]

The sad thing is that some people are stupid enough to fall for these scams. I the local news the other days there were reports of people loosing money.

These scammers are evil, reporting them is the best way.