I seem to recall a Doper doing that a number of years ago. Wish I could find the thread.
Google “scam baiting” for more stories than you’ll be able to read.
I vaguely remember someone dicking with a scamer and getting their PC trashed.
Lucky you, I was just informed that the IRS is issuing a warrant for my name for attempting to defraud them unless I call a special number.
I keep getting letters from the IRS telling me I supposedly need to pay my taxes. But I’m not falling for it; I paid my taxes years ago.
Thrifty shopping tip: A hammer and chisel from Home Depot are much cheaper and will get the briefcase open quickly. Always keep a set on hand.
Now I’m kind of tempted to write them back, all worried that I have to much money to quality for a Poverty Alleviation Program. Maybe ask for ideas on how poor I need to be.
To bad I like that email address, and I don’t want to get it stuffed full of more spam.
Write back from some other address. In all probability, they sent out thousands of copies of that letter and aren’t going to check to make sure the correct person responded.
It’s interesting that this particular act of Poverty Alleviation is being carried out by the United Nation (singular). So this is not the UN as we know it, which is an association of 193 sovereign states. This is a single United Nation, presumably one that is united under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice and large sums of money for all. But the letter doesn’t tell you which United Nation this is. It’s a question you should maybe ask the helpful Wesley Butler. Maybe it’s Nairobi, but that may just be where the Reputable Courier lives. I’m thinking Nigeria. A lot of wealth seems to come from there on short notice, announced via Yahoo email accounts.
Also, while the UN has mysteriously condensed into a single mystery nation, it seems that the IMF has multiplied, and has now become the “The International Monitory Funds” (plural). And, while it’s good to know that this organization – whose funds are now apparently breeding like rabbits – has OK’d the transaction, one wonders what exactly a “monitory fund” is. You should ask Mr. Butler. In his capacity as a high official of the United Nation, he might also appreciate the tip that virtually any version of Microsoft Word includes a spell checker. Depending on which particular United Nation he inhabits, you might want to reassure him that a spell checker checks spelling, and is unrelated to witchcraft.
Congratulations on your new wealth.
I have an spammer reply email. I don’t use it very often but every now and then just for fun I’ll try to get into a conversation with them. I have a whole back story for the email address. You see Mac Rawness is an American penguin researcher working in Antarctica. So this results in some funny (for me) exchanges like “Now, my bank is the 1st Bank of Antarctica. Are you going to be able to deposit money there, because I’ve had issues in the past with getting deposits in from out of the country?” For the ones pretending to be in the import/export business and so wealthy, after a few emails I’ll send them something like “This deals sounds great. I’m glad you’ll be able to work with my bank. While we’re talking, as I mentioned I’m a penguin researcher. We have a sick little guy down here named Pengo. He is so cute, I’ve attached a photo of him. He’s really sick and we’re not sure if he’s going to make it. I know as a successful businessman, you have access to a lot of wealth. I was wondering if you’d be willing to make a donation to a recovery fund for Pengo?”
Ahh good times.
Please sir I very much would.
My favorite is when it’s a promised amount of $25,000,000 which comes on an debit card with a $5,000/day withdraw limit. Only fourteen years of daily visits to the ATM before you get your money!
Doper Choie witnessed a neighbor being scammed out of at least $50,000 and then asking a friend for some more $1000’s. All the while there was $5 million in an airport locker waiting for him to complete this expensive paperwork. :rolleyes:
“One World Couriers” would be a great band name.
Fun and games with Mr Austin Wemba A Straight Dope Classic, started by Mangetout
…as an example of more than you’ll be able to read, you can start with
I used to follow them, but the joke wears thin after a while. That said, in the early days some reduced me to tears. The typical MO was to refer the email (cc original scammer, of course) to eg a financial advisor, who would write back encouragingly, cc-ing someone else, possibly an enthusiastic lawyer (and cc the original scammer) and so on. And the scammers would join the correspondence in hopes of…
If I remember correctly, one chain of correspondence included Princess Margaret (possibly not the real one), with whom the scammer corresponded most respectfully and courteously. The fact that the real Princess died during the correspondence didn’t put him off writing at all. Hey ho.
j
Oh yeah? Well, I got a similar email last week, and my money is already on its way, and all I had to pay was a $500 customs fee. So who’s stupid now?
Perhaps an appropriate response would be to reject the offer as insulting, in view of the fact that several of your friends are soon to receive amounts exceeding $20 million from dead benefactors in Nigeria, the Guinness Lottery, etc.
“Though I may be poor, I still have some pride - and frankly, I wouldn’t get out of bed for your paltry $2 million.”
Great, now I have this image of an updated Farside cartoon with the 2 morgue attendants ‘this guy’s got a certificate for 2 million dollar in his pocket’ ‘lucky stiff’
It’s not uncommon for the daily cash limit to be $500, so it may take 140 years. You’d better hope it’s a sturdy debit card from a good reliable bank. Fortunately, it’s probably from the new and reputable One World Bank, which is also managed by Mr. Terry Sterling, who is eminently qualified due to his experience couriering suitcases of money for the United Nation and the the International Monitory Funds. Now a proud part of the new and reputable courier empire of the same name, One World Bank was formerly the National Suitcase Bank of Basutoland, which blazed the way for modern Internet banking by not only being one of the first virtual banks with no physical branches, but also the first with no actual money.