Old-School Phishing Expeditions

[asterion]

I got this letter in my campus mail today. It’s from an outfit called Empire Who’s Who.

Dear [asterion],

You were recently appointed as a biographical candidate to represent Huntingdon, PA in the Empire Who’s Who Among Executive and Professionals, and for inclusion in the upcoming 2004/2005 “Honors Edition” of the registry.

We are pleased to inform you that on April 22nd, your candidacy was approved. Your confirmation for inclusion will be effective within 5 business days, pending our receipt of the enclosed application.

The office of the Managing Director appoints individuals based on a candidate’s current position, and usually with information obtained from researched executive and professional listings. The Director thinks that you may make an interesting biographical subject, as individual achievement is what Empire Who’s Who is all about.

Upon final confirmation, you will be listed among thousands of accomplished individuals in the Empire Who’s Who Registry. There is no cost to be included.

On behalf of the Managing Director, we wish you continued success.

Oh man, where to start? How about that I’m an undergraduate college student who’s work career involves summers running a register, cleaning the store, and showing both the technically-challenged and travelers from New Jersey how to work a gas pump. I can’t imagine where you people bought my name from, but it’s obvious you weren’t doing any research. Plus, I don’t even live in Huntingdon or even Pennsylvania. I just go to school here. Seeing as how my individual achievement in my possible career field is taking classes and averaging maybe a 3.0 in them, I’m sure that’d make me an interesting subject.

So, should I just toss this as I was planning, or should I try to string them along? They want a job title, industry, personal speciality, principal product, service, or activity, and type of business. It strikes me that this would be perfect practice for future resume padding. For example:

Job Title: Refined Petroleum Products and Other Goods Salesman
Industry: Refinement and Distribution of Petroleum Energy Sources
Principal Product, Service or Activity: Sales of Various Petroleum Distillates
Personal Speciality: Learning and Using New Technology Used in Sales of Petroleum Distillates
Type of Business: Petroleum Distillates Sales and Service

In other words, that is, the real world:
Job Title: Gas Station Attendant
Industry: ChevronTexaco Franchise
Principal Product, Service or Activity: Attending a Gas Station
Personal Speciality: Running a register
Type of Business: Gas Station

What do you guys think? And even if I string them along, I’m not paying for one of those stupid books, so it’s not like it’ll be printed anyway.

[Dragwyr]

I got one of those about 2 yrs ago. I found it mildly intriguing, but ended up pitching it, based only on the fact that it would serve me no purpose anyways. Why would I want a list of names of people that I don’t even know?

[pipperroo]

I remember those from High School and College, I always thought they were just a way to sell books cheap. Because its free to be listed in it, but you must purchase one or more so you can show people you are listed in Who’s Who. The High School version being especially lucrative since Mom, Grandma, Aunt Lucy, etc, all have to get a copy.

Having said that, I wouldn’t send my name in just in case you become famous someday and someone happens on a copy with your creative job descriptions.