# this scam is so pathetic I can't even pit it **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686 "2009-03-16T23:02:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/1 "2009-03-16T23:02:37Z")
I just got an email that reads, in it’s entirety, > [@](#): > > you won(£1,000.000.00GBP)details needed for processing > 1.Full name: 2.Contact address: 3.Tel: 4:Country: > Contact:Sir.Andreas Smart > E-mail: register.fedexxdelivery@ [live.co.uk](http://live.co.uk) It’s (supposedly ) from “Fedex Express Courier” \ Geez, you losers, at least make _some_ effort… ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/2 "2009-03-16T23:39:43Z")
You think that’s bad, you should see some of the losers showcased on 419eater. Off the top of my head, there was the guy who claimed to be abducted and probed by Martians, several voodoo salesmen, gals with prostate cancer, and guys with uterine cancer, and of course, legions of FBI spokesmen, FedEx people, and major banks with Yahoo email addresses. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/3 "2009-03-17T01:57:05Z")
I got something similar: > [@](#): > > You have won £750,000.00. Contact: Mr. George Smith (E-mail: [uknldraws@live.co.uk](mailto:uknldraws@live.co.uk)) with your > Name/Address/Age/Sex/Country What’s neat is that it made it past Gmail’s usually top-notch spam filters. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/4 "2009-03-17T02:06:37Z")
Oh man. Does this mean I _haven’t_ won 1,200,000.00 USD? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/5 "2009-03-17T02:20:08Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Oh man. Does this mean I _haven’t_ won 1,200,000.00 USD? I got it by mistake. Could you tell me where to send the processing fees? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/6 "2009-03-17T02:51:22Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I got it by mistake. Could you tell me where to send the processing fees? Don’t worry about it-just send the processing fees to me, and I’ll take care of all the paperwork for you. Anything for a friend. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/7 "2009-03-17T03:12:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Don’t worry about it-just send the processing fees to me, and I’ll take care of all the paperwork for you. > Anything for a friend. Great, thanks. I’m dyslexic and sometimes switch numbers around. Could you send the difference back to me ,please? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/8 "2009-03-17T03:21:30Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Great, thanks. I’m dyslexic and sometimes switch numbers around. Could you send the difference back to me ,please? No prob, bud. Would you like that in cashier’s checks or travelers checks? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/9 "2009-03-17T03:30:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > No prob, bud. > Would you like that in cashier’s checks or travelers checks? Wire transfer. I have hEre aLetter of Vouching from Man of ExtreMe Honesty to say to you I am man of Truth when It comes to Money Dealing with. Send of Me youR banKing details and I will handle rest with much Just. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/10 "2009-03-17T04:32:04Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Wire transfer. I have hEre aLetter of Vouching from Man of ExtreMe Honesty to say to you I am man of Truth when It comes to Money Dealing with. Send of Me youR banKing details and I will handle rest with much Just. I’d rather you didn’t take such a risk-someone might use a fake I.D. to pick it up. If you give me your full name, social security number and bank routing number, I’ll put it directly into your account. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/11 "2009-03-17T04:39:40Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’d rather you didn’t take such a risk-someone might use a fake I.D. to pick it up. If you give me your full name, social security number and bank routing number, I’ll put it directly into your account. My name is Todd Davis My social security number is 457-55-5462 Bank Routing number 180-05433-562 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/12 "2009-03-17T06:54:19Z")
You guys are so cynical. I’ll have you know that I received the same email and sent in the information requested and I actually got a legitimate check for a million pounds which I was able to cash and spend. Of course, I blew the whole million on some bogus penis enlargement pills I got another email for a week later. So I’m right back where I started. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/13 "2009-03-17T14:24:39Z")
Except with a million Pounds worth of new penis…right? …uhhh…right? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/14 "2009-03-17T14:54:07Z")
Yesterday, I had an older gentleman come into my office with a letter saying he’d won $1.4 million, asking if it was legitimate. No, sorry, it’s not, I said, and here are a few clues to spot such things in the future: first, no legitimate contest or sweepstakes will require you to send in a $20 check before they give you your winnings. Second, a legitimate sweepstakes would most likely contact you by special courier rather than regular US Mail. And finally, even before you open the envelope, look at the postmark: if it says “presorted”, that means that thousands of people got a letter exactly like this one. This was not the first elderly person who has brought in such a letter. They always look different, and they’re always frauds. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/15 "2009-03-17T15:03:55Z")
And then there was the letter I got from Barack Obama’s banker this past summer: > [@](#): > > OBAMA BANK > AND GROUP COMPANY > #30,STREET,OWEERI > > Dear lucky winner > > Obama bank,group of company all over the world and heself Barack Obama > has given you a free load and award which is about > $700,000.00,usds.,which will be transfer to your account immediately, > The reason for this free offer is because obama has been a very > sucessful person in his life and bank,companies and investments over > the world, > The director manager of obama bank, when to > [google.com](http://google.com),[yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com),[hotmail.com](http://hotmail.com),[aol.com](http://aol.com),[ask.com](http://ask.com) and other email > address searching websites to collect some valid email address of > people which they will transfer some amount of dollars to their > account,.they only collected ten people email address in the whole > world,and they are given this sum of amount to each of this people as > a promotion to celebrate the successfulness in their business,and also > it is also so sponsored by some other group of companies,the promotion > will only last for two months > > GENERAL MANAGER > barack obama > > If you are lucky to be one of the ten chosen people,make it fast write your > > Full Name > Home Address > City > State > country > send it to the bank transfer department for your money to be transfer > to your account immediately… > > TRANSFER DEPARTMENT EMAIL CONTACT ADDRESS > EMAIL: [obama.transferunit@yahoo.com](mailto:obama.transferunit@yahoo.com) ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/16 "2009-03-17T15:08:43Z")
I had been looking for cars online recently and asked one [AutoTrader.com](http://AutoTrader.com) seller a simple question - does the car he was selling have heated seats? (it is a must have for me). This particular car was priced much lower than similar cars; that should have been my first clue. But no harm in asking a question about the seats, right? A few days later I get a long email about how he wasn’t selling the car because he needed the money, oh no, he was honorably going to donate all the money to some unnamed children’s foundation. He also volunteered to pay all shipping costs to get the car to me! Of course, he needed all my details so an “eBay company” could contact me to ship the car to me (Huh? This was an Autotrader ad, not eBay). Also, he was out of town “in a business trip” so he couldn’t show the car to me. He totally ignored my heated seats question. What an idiot, and I told him as much in my return email. These scammers don’t even try! If he’d simply emailed back that yes, it does have heated seats I might have fallen for it. (No, I wouldn’t have, but the email I did get back was so stupid). ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-scam-is-so-pathetic-i-cant-even-pit-it/489686/17 "2009-03-17T19:52:43Z")
Amateurs. I was checking mail for the address I use for online orders, and to fetch spam when I came across this little jewel (and this is after their crazy bit about FedEx sending me money… for some reason): > [@](#): > > Fill this Form: > Name: > Address: > City: > State: > Postal Code: > Country: > Contact Phone Number: > > The above requested information will enable them deliver your parcel correctly without any mistake or delivering your parcel to a wrong person. Furthermore, you might be asking yourself how come this email, cheque or draft. Anyway, your cheque was brought to the processing delivery office by the National Lottery Fiduciary Agent/Claim, signifying that you are a rightful winner to their Lottery Award selected randomly from three thousand (3000) lucky email addresses which your email address is among the lucky email addresses. > > FedEx Courier Service Company is mailing you as per your parcel that was brought to our subsidiary courier company “World-Tropic Courier Services” to be delivered to you. > > We are obliged to inform you once again that your parcel, which contains your payment (the sum of U.S$800.000.00 (Eight Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars)) is among the 24 parcel’s listed which is now in our office in UK and also with your email address as the receiver. > > You are to send the above details to: > > NAME: Mr. Donald Blake > EMAIL ADDRESS: delivery.parcel@fedextropic-courier. com > PHONE NUMBER: +44-796-010-7352 > Due to the risk of Identity theft and interception, which almost crippled the National Lottery Program of 2007. All parcel containing beneficiary’s payment must be insured for risk of Identity Theft and unkown interception. You are to pay for just the insurance of your parcel which is containing your payment via western union and Money Gram so that your parcel can be delivered to your residential address before it accumulate a demurrage/delay charges. This will happen if stays more than after one week after this notice to you. > You are to make the payment of the Ј150 (One Hundred & Fifty British Pounds) to the details below through Western Union or Money Gram. > > Payment Information: > Receivers Name------ Mike Connor > Receiver’s Address: 24 Tooting Road > Receiver’s City: London > Receiver’s Zip Code: Bnq 7n4 > Receivers Country----United Kingdom > Amount To Be Paid---------Ј150 (One Hundred & Fifty British Pounds) > Please as soon as you send the money, you are to email us back the full payment information including the MTCN Number so that your confirmation can be made and your delivery proceeded asap. > FedEx and World-Tropic International is one of the world’s great success stories, the start-up that revolutionized the delivery of packages and information. In the past 30 years, we’ve grown up and grown into a diverse family of companies -a FedEx that’s bigger, stronger, better than ever. > > Mr. David B. Peters > For: FedEx - World-Tropic Courier Services International > Processing/Notification Officer _Furthermore, you might be asking yourself how come this email, cheque or draft. Anyway, your cheque was brought to the processing delivery office by the National Lottery Fiduciary Agent/Claim, signifying that you are a rightful winner to their Lottery Award selected randomly from three thousand (3000) lucky email addresses which your email address is among the lucky email addresses._ That doesn’t even make any sense. _FedEx Courier Service Company is mailing you as per your parcel that was brought to our subsidiary courier company “World-Tropic Courier Services” to be delivered to you._ What? \*You are to make the payment of the Ј150 (One Hundred & Fifty British Pounds) to the details below through Western Union or Money Gram. \* Wait, why am I sending money to the UK again to get a package from FedEx? Do they want me to pay shipping fees in advance? Why not just deduct shipping costs from whatever money they’re talking about sending me? This just seems like bad customer service.