(no subject)

[rootofnewt]

Latest spam I've received include...

several of the "I have information needed to obtain funds, but my political position forbids it, I need help" variety. A couple claim God has revealed to said person that I am the person to use for this "investment". The latest starts out:
"My Name is Mr. Michael Soderback, I am a deputy senior economic adviser in the
Monitoring Committee for International Finance at the IMF (International Monetary
Fund)."

This spam really amuses me more than anything. I just pity the poor folks who might actually BELIEVE the ruse.

Comments

[jkatj.livejournal.com]

I couldn't believe one of those landed in my in-box. I wasn't sure it was spam at first. I saved it for a long time and kept opening it and gawking at it.

I never felt compelled to help, but I just couldn't believe anyone would ask something like that.

Oddly enough...

[bbick.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, I recently discovered that this type of email has a very similar person-to-person equivalent. A friend of mine spent about three weeks in Uganda and Tanzania, and at some point, a guy walked up to him and handed him a note. The note asked for my friend's assistance...it requested that, upon his return home, he buy this gentleman a camera and mail it to him, because "cameras are very hard to come by." Dig this...it wasn't just any old camera though. There was a list attached of about 25 different types of cameras that my friend could choose from, and we're talking EXPENSIVE here. So much for beggars can't be choosers.

Similarly, once I was walking in downtown Minneapolis with a friend, when a stranger approached us and asked for money so that he could get a bite to eat. My friend said that he would gladly accompany the gentleman to a nearby restaurant and sit with him and eat a meal, but he would not just give him money. There was a sub shop just down the street, but the man declined, saying that he didn't want a sandwich; he wanted turkey. His restaurant of choice was the much more upscale Rock Bottom Brewery. Obviously, my friend said no.

I always feel bad any time someone falls for a scam like that, or a stupid email like the ones you've been getting. But there must be enough gullibility out there to keep these folks thriving.