# What's the scam? (It IS a scam, right?)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scam-it-is-a-scam-right/506837>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 18, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scam-it-is-a-scam-right/506837 "2009-08-18T13:11:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scam-it-is-a-scam-right/506837/21 "2010-01-14T18:55:14Z")

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> [@statsman1982](#):
>
> My question is: Why haven’t these people tried bringing in native English speakers into their scams to make them seem more realistic. It’s almost as if they want to send out a subtle hint that it’s a scam in order to trap only the most gullible people.

I’m guessing it’s because they don’t want to spend money on someone who can translate well, instead opting for they guy they already have who says, “I know some English!”

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**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scam-it-is-a-scam-right/506837/22 "2010-01-15T05:12:01Z")

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I read somewhere that the poor grammar and spelling is a deliberate filtering method. The theory is, the scammers don’t want to waste their time trying to string along the less credulous who might back out at a later stage. So, they deliberately fill their ads with a bunch of groaners. The people who respond are more likely suckers.

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**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-scam-it-is-a-scam-right/506837/23 "2010-01-15T17:53:55Z")

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It is my gladness to be renting the apartment to you of which you have shown interest in.

I am Jack’s suspension of belief.

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