# What would be the point of spam like this? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 8, 2011, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141 "2011-05-08T06:43:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/1 "2011-05-08T06:43:21Z")
Supposedly it came from DHL, and is a delivery notice: > [@](#): > > Dear customer! > > The parcel was sent your home address! > And it will arrive within 7 business day! > > More information and the traching number are attached in > document below! > > Thank you! > Best regards! > 2011 DHL International GmbH. All rights reserved! It doesn’t contain a link, not even a broken one that I could type into an address bar. It doesn’t have an attachment to open to get a virus. It doesn’t ask me to to anything or provide any information. It doesn’t even provide the (real or fake) information it claims to. There is no tracking number, and no attached document (which I wouldn’t have opened anyway). I’ve seen several of these in my spam box in th last few weeks, some claiming to be from FedEx or the Post Office, but I’m damned if I can figure out why anyone would waste time sending them. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/2 "2011-05-08T06:49:53Z")
“More information and the traching number are attached in document below” Could it be that your ISP removed an attachment containing a virus before the e-mail was delivered to you? Or maybe the attachment was removed by another party before it even got to your ISP? ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/3 "2011-05-08T06:59:45Z")
You’re supposed to reply and say “there’s no attachment you idiot” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/4 "2011-05-08T07:04:26Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > “More information and the traching number are attached in document below” > > Could it be that your ISP removed an attachment containing a virus before the e-mail was delivered to you? Or maybe the attachment was removed by another party before it even got to your ISP? I suppose it’s possible, but I’ve gotten plenty of other spam _with_ attachments, none of which I ever open. Hmmm. Is to more correct to say “none of which I ever open” or “all of which I never open”? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/5 "2011-05-08T08:30:41Z")
> [@grimpixie](#): > > You’re supposed to reply and say “there’s no attachment you idiot” Spammers frequently send test messages to groups of email addresses they’ve acquired to see if they are valid. Responding to their spam tells them that not only is the email address valid but it’s actively used. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/6 "2011-05-08T12:41:54Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I suppose it’s possible, but I’ve gotten plenty of other spam _with_ attachments, none of which I ever open. > > Hmmm. Is to more correct to say “none of which I ever open” or “all of which I never open”? The former. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/7 "2011-05-08T13:04:26Z")
Someone named tenor mcpeck has, for the last several weeks, sent me a garbage-filled (nothing readable) piece of spam twice a day. What possible purpose could it have? It comes from a time zone described as CST (China standard time, GMT+8). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-point-of-spam-like-this/581141/8 "2011-05-08T13:13:16Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The former. I would agree the former is preferable and better, but is the latter actually incorrect?