# A spam first **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705 "2008-07-08T16:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/1 "2008-07-08T16:06:44Z")
I got a phishing spam email this morning – you know those ones that contain dire warnings from your bank and ask you to log in to do something or other so they can try to capture your banking password? That’s not the first. I mean, obviously, I’ve gotten absolutely thousands of those. But what was a first about it is that it actually pretended to be from my very own bank. I was almost kind of pleased by that. But it makes me wonder even more about the people who fall for this stuff. Don’t the hundreds of these things that they get not from their very own bank educate them to not trust the very few that are? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/2 "2008-07-08T16:18:58Z")
Heh. Worse than getting one from your own bank is getting one from your daughter’s bank, which her dad co-signed. And since it’s her painstakingly earned college money (make that all caps, “HER COLLEGE MONEY!!”) we both quietly, parentally, freaked for a couple of minutes. Until I went and looked at the bank’s website to find their phone number, and there was a big red “DO NOT FREAK! IT WASN’T US!” informational banner. Apparently just random phishing. I always think what a shame it is, that all that creative energy can’t be harnessed into something more constructive, like finding a cure for cancer or something. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/3 "2008-07-08T16:39:44Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] I always think what a shame it is, that all that creative energy can’t be harnessed into something more constructive, like finding a cure for cancer or something. [/QUOTE] Where do you think funding for that constructive stuff comes from? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/4 "2008-07-08T19:09:21Z")
I just browsed through my spam folder today, and the latest ploy seems to be giving spam emails fake “headline” subjects. Here’s a taste from the past few days - given added comedy value from the fact that Gmail gives a small preview of the body content too…: **Plane crashes into White House, injuring hundreds** - Urgent update required for all Windows Vista… **Latest polls show obama in lead** - Check out the latest breakthrough in organ enlargement pills… **Stray javelin kills 6-year-old girl** - Fully online Master’s degrees available at accessible prices… **Olympic news updates** - Grow the pole bigger and stronger http : // www . findinch . com … 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/5 "2008-07-08T19:21:28Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] I just browsed through my spam folder today, and the latest ploy seems to be giving spam emails fake “headline” subjects. [/QUOTE] The ones I’ve been getting are even more outrageous: Angelina Jolie killed in plane crash Obama found dead . . . and a few others that I don’t recall, but along the same lines. And I just posted here in MPSIMS about a sneaky phone call. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/6 "2008-07-08T19:26:23Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] **Olympic news updates** - Grow the pole bigger and stronger [/QUOTE] Javelin enlargement pills? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/7 "2008-07-08T19:35:58Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] Javelin enlargement pills? [/QUOTE] Apparently they’re here, and they’re dangerous - as that 6-year-old girl found out. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-spam-first/455705/8 "2008-07-08T20:38:48Z")
I’m offended. I haven’t gotten any headlines, yet. I’m behind the curve. Mine are still saying that I’ve been caught on camera or that I look stupid. That trend started last month.