# Fun and games with Mr James Dale **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 14, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-and-games-with-mr-james-dale/384146 "2006-12-14T16:29:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-and-games-with-mr-james-dale/384146/21 "2006-12-21T18:32:34Z")
But here’s a question: if we’ve learned to identify these guys by their shibboleths, then why haven’t they learned to identify the people who are just toying with them by their shibboleths? Here’s my theory: when the scammers realize they’re being toyed with, they pass the correspondence along to an apprentice. The apprentice is supposed to follow up in the appropriate manner, and gets graded on things like language, spelling, coherence, style and the pertinence of his responses. If, contrary to all expectation, the apprentice actually manages to get money out of someone, he gets to keep half. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-and-games-with-mr-james-dale/384146/22 "2006-12-22T02:13:13Z")
My pet theory is a bit similar - that there is an organisation of scammers consisting of a large number of spam operators who may not be particularly literate in English and other languages foreign to them, and that these guys are copy/pasting form letters composed by a smaller number of multilingual bosses - the operators know enough to be able to deal with simple questions and answers, but absurdity is lost to them. I assume that the job escalates up the chain of command once the mark appears to be actually hooked. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-and-games-with-mr-james-dale/384146/23 "2007-01-02T02:05:34Z")
Well… a couple more rounds of fairly impotent exchange have occurred: > [@](#): > > From: Mangetout > To: James Dale > > Hello James > > I still don’t have time to write much, but I would like to know more about the legal documentation - specifically, how can I be legally presented as the next of kin of this deceased millionaire if I am not his or her actual next of kin? > > Regards > > William John Cavendish Cavendish Scott-Bentinck > [@](#): > > From: James Dale > To: Mangetout > > Dear William, > > In regards to your previous email, this legal documentations are the documents that will legalize you as the real beneficiary of the said funds, you shall be legally presented as the next of kin because you bear the same surname with the deceased, so it doesn’t matter if you are related to him or not, all what the Bank shall be demanding for is a prove which shall be provided during the transaction. > > Please let me know your stand towards the conclusion of this transaction. > > Mr. James. > [@](#): > > From: Mangetout > To: James Dale > > But James, James… I _don’t_ have the same surname as the deceased, do I? > > I have a very unusual surname and if you’re telling me there’s money in a dormant account belonging to a deceased person with my exact surname, then the chances are that I REALLY AM the next of kin and in that case, I’ll be wanting to claim ALL of the money. What’s actually the deal here? What is the name of this deceased person? Please explain. > > I would also like to point out that the sentence “this legal documentations are the documents that will legalize you as the real beneficiary of the said funds” is a tautology, and thus explains nothing. I need more detail - this is very important and cannot be ignored, because it is very important, because I need more detail. > > William John Cavendish-Cavendish Smythe-Scott-Bentinck ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-and-games-with-mr-james-dale/384146/24 "2007-01-02T03:25:10Z")
Use his name and email and join every free porno site you can find. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-and-games-with-mr-james-dale/384146/25 "2007-01-10T01:35:15Z")
Well, I’d given up, having sent emails saying: > [@](#): > > Hello James > > You haven’t contacted me for a number of days. Is everything still OK? > > William > [@](#): > > What has happened, James? Please respond! and > [@](#): > > Dear Mr James > > Are you still there? Have you found someone else to act as next of Kin? What’s going on? Why won’t you answer? And having received no response, but wait! I got an email back today saying: > [@](#): > > Dear Williams, > > Season’s greeting, I am very sorry for the late response, as I have been very busy during and after the holidays, I am in receipt of all your emails and all content was well noted and understood. > > I know you have an unusual surname, but that will not stop us from proceeding to finalize this transaction, from the data’s I am withholding, the full name of the decease is Mr. Richard Bemowski Cavendish, so please get back to me with the requested informations I requested for in my second email to you. > > I wait your response. > > Mr. James. How about that then? Amazing that the deceased person’s surname is Cavendish! - so similar to my pseudo-surname (Cavendish-Cavendish Smythe-Scott-Bentinck). I’m thinking I might write back and say “Oh my GOD! you’re telling me that uncle Richard is DEAD?! When did this happen?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-and-games-with-mr-james-dale/384146.md?page=1)