Question of the day
Friday, Feb 11, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller
* I also received a copy of this e-mail yesterday…
The e-mail seemed suspicious as soon as I read it.
“I’m writing with tears in my eyes,” it states.
The writer went on to say that he and his family were in England for a short vacation and were mugged at gunpoint. With money and credit cards stolen, they were at the U.S. embassy and needed help immediately to pay the hotel bill and catch a flight home. […]
On Wednesday, I telephoned [Dean Vallas] to ask him what was going on.
“Someone hacked into my computer and was running a scam using my e-mail address,” he said. “Because I’m working for Gery Chico, I had a list of political contacts in my computer, and that’s how they got your e-mail address.”
“Frankly, I thought the idea of some little English guy robbing me, at 6-foot-7 inches, 230 pounds, sort of funny,” Vallas said with a chuckle.
I wasn’t the first person to call him about the e-mail. At least two of his friends, he said, actually responded to it and asked what they could do to help.
* The Question: What is your “favorite” spam e-mail? Please, do your utmost to keep it clean. Thanks.
- Xety - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 5:12 am:
My fav was when I got an email from some Greek guy named Alexi Giannoulias asking me for money so he can run for the U.S. Senate. I thought it was crazy and most def a scam.
- Give Me A Break - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 6:47 am:
I love the good old “Nigerian Banking Scam”. Having been born in Nigeria (parents were missionaries) I decided to respond to one email just see what happened. After I explained where I was born (Ife) and talking about specific events I witnessed in Nigeria and that I was concerned about the well being of a fellow countryman, and looked forward chatting with the guy and working closely with him I sent the email.
I’m still waiting for a response.
- Wensicia - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 7:18 am:
The ones saying the gov’t owes me ten thousand dollars. I don’t think the IRS would agree.
- Techboy - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 7:31 am:
The ones claiming to be from the security offices of credit cards I don’t actually own, telling me the card may have been compromised and that I need to go to a special site and re-enter all my banking information.
- How Ironic - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 8:12 am:
Check out www.419eater.com if you would like to read many, many awsome scam emails, and the equally awesome ‘baiting’ done to the scammers.
On a serious note though, if you intend on responding to any of these scam emails PLEASE use a fake email account w/out any connection to your real life.
Some of these scammers actually live in the USA, and are rather dangerous. It’s not worth the risk of having someone show up at your doorstep.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 8:20 am:
I got an e-mail from Nigeria promising me $500,000 if I contributed to Braun’s campaign.
- Cornerfield - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 8:30 am:
I got the same email as Rich a couple of days ago. Except in my case, it was my chiropractor that was mugged while attending a seminar in England.
- park - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 8:51 am:
Can’t beat the ‘blonde, attractive, no kids’ Russian chicks who are dying to meet me.
- wordslinger - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:05 am:
Ms. Yvonne Gray, who is dying of cancer, wants to change her will (her relatives have squandered much of her fortune, and are unworthy) and leave me $9.8 million so I can do the work of the Lord. Many acquaintances in the business world have informed her that I am a God-fearing man who will do much good with this fortune.
All I have to do is send her my contact information, including my social. Now that the Super Bowl’s over, I just might get around to that, after I wade through the many British Sweepstakes notifications that I have won 500,000 pounds.
- Justice - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:06 am:
We have received emails from Nigeria, England, pretty much from everywhere. All involve money and are scams. When you reply, even if just in jest, your email address is tagged for future “opportunities.”
Unfortunately tens of millions of dollars are given up each year in these scams. Just ask your banker or the local FBI office. The suckers are abundant and the fools even more so.
Well, off to the bank to send a cashiers check to Nigeria. They gave me a check for $50,000 and I only need to send them $2,000. Sounds like a sweet deal!
- Chicago Cynic - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:10 am:
I guess I’m old fashioned as I still like the emails from supposed spouses of deposed foreign dictators like ____ Sese Sako. My favorite part is when they misspell the dictators name (like I did).
- Aaron - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:13 am:
I got the same email from my mom. It also came from her Facebook and the person was actually logged into her account. Her friends were talking with the person who sent the scam. She was somehow stuck in England all alone without my dad. LOL.
The Nigerian one’s can be funny but the best tend to be the body enhancement - spam can’t decide if I am a woman in need of a bigger chest or a man in need of… well you know.
- Red Ranger - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:25 am:
I once tried to sell a car and put ads on cars.com, in the paper etc etc. I got a couple of phising emails from people that claimed that their “boss” is an executive from a large foreign country and is coming to America on business. The person needed a “nice car” to chauffer the boss around and was willing to pay even more than I was asking for my car. The person was willing to buy the car based only on my description and pay $5k more than I was asking. After some internet research I found out this is a popular scam. The person shows up with some type of cashiers check and the transaction is made. The only problem is when the person goes to deposit the check, there are no funds in the account linked to the check. However, the person is now gone and has title to the car. I can’t imagine people falling for this, but I guess they do.
- So IL M - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:40 am:
Actually my 2 favorites cam over the phone. One was to my cell, where the caller said that I had won a free trip after writing a check at one of their participating stores. All I needed to do was giver her my checking account information to recieve my free trip. For some reaon she got upset when I called her dirty names, and a lier. I told her if I wrote a check, she would have that info, and since my cell number was not on the check, how did she get that number. She again said all she wanted was my checking account info to give me a trip. She for some reason got mad when I responded by telling her what I thought of her, and her honesty. She told me I didnt need to call her those names, and I told her she didnt need to call me at all.
The second was a call I recieved by a person of foreign decent claiming to be Det. Frank Gannon. He got mad when I called him names too.
- Muskrat - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:45 am:
It’s the “replica Swiss watches” that I wonder about. I can understand the primal concern over, ahem, certain personal issues. But bad fake Rolexes? Is there really money in that? Do guys really think “OK, I’m dosed up on Cialis and painkillers — now if I just had a cheap plastic Tag Heuer”?
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:57 am:
the subject line is:
GOVERNOR’S PUBLIC SCHEDULE
I open it only to read the governor has no public schedule
I fall for it every time.
- Argh!!!!! - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 9:58 am:
Maybe only I see the humor in this one, but about once a week it is an e-mail for some lady that I supposedly met, and she is a model, and she wants to go out with me and get a hotel room, etc. etc…….and I’m gay. Note to spammers: Know your audience.
- Plutocrat03 - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 10:15 am:
HAd a friend’s facebook account breached recently and the same robbery/stranded in England line was used.
Amazinf to me that several folks I knew were ready to send money to ’save’ their friend. Touching, but scary.
Latest scam was an email offering me a job which not only had my email address but my actual name. The assertion was that they had read my resume in a resume bank and I was perfect for whatever they had. How despicable it is to prey on people who may really need a job. I hope there is a special place in hell for those folks.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 10:34 am:
I got the same letter Rich did quite a while back “from” someone who worked on a Campaign’s staff. Interesting. That letter has obviously been around for while.
- Tim - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 10:49 am:
A couple years ago, I received a message with language very similar to the classic Nigerian emails - except it was on behalf of Ruth Madoff, because she had “lost” so much.
- zatoichi - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:06 am:
My two newest best friends in the world just sent me personal emails at work just yesterday. Mr Aziz Bin Raman Astar (Esq.) is from Malaysia and represents a dying relative’s best interest. Dr, James Kaduri is from South Africa and he just needs help finding a place to put $45M. I am sure my friends emotional stress over their financial strain explain their spelling and punctuation issues, but I feel their plea for help is in the right place. At home I can easily pick up 30%-40% of several million from other close friends with nothing more than a 15 minutes at the keyboard. I feel retirement coming soon. The Internet does a wonderful job of helping you find many new friends.
- Retired Non-Union Guy - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:13 am:
Used to get emails from people in Ghana wanting me to “facilitate” getting some money out of the country. I would responded with the name of a government official (who I attended college with many years ago) and suggest they get in touch with him. Funny, but I never heard back …
Similar thing on an email supposedly from the West Bank. I responded to that one, telling them if the sent me a certified check in US funds to cover the bad debt one of their countrymen had stuck me with on a rental house, I’d be happy to help them out. Again, never heard back …
These days most of the spam doesn’t even make it past my filters, and I delete the few that do before reading.
- Huh? - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:17 am:
Publisher’s Clearing House - You could win a $1,000,000 for life. I get the same spam by snail mail.
- Anonymous - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:23 am:
=These days most of the spam doesn’t even make it past my filters, and I delete the few that do before reading.=
Yeah…everything’s blocked but Dan’s Birthday spam. That still manages to get through somehow. lol
- soccermom - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:31 am:
The one I find very troubling — yet, as a parent, somewhat darkly amusing — is the Grandpa scam. A teenager calls the home of an elderly person and starts the conversation, “Hey, Grandpa, it’s your favorite grandson!” And the grandfather of course says, “Hello, Joshua.” From there, the teenager explains that he’s been arrested in Canada, or New York, or Mexico, or somewhere, and he needs money for bail. But if he tells his parents, they’ll kill him. So could Grandpa please send the money and not tell mom or dad?
It’s amazing how many grandparents are willing to serve as co-conspirators on this one. My father in law was actually at the bank taking out a cashier’s check to “bail out” my nephew. Thankfully, a smart bank cashier figured out what was going on and halted the scheme.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:37 am:
I got the same one, from a friend of mine who was supposedly stuck in England following a mugging. I bit on the scam and replied because I really thought it was my friend who was in trouble.
Of course my reply was: “don’t contact me, go to the embassy you dumb—.”
I recently got an interesting offer from a bank employee in England involving a deceased depositor with lots of money in a Hong Kong account. All he needed was a US bank account to transfer the money to, and we’ll split it 50-50 from there. That one was a no-brainer, it’s easy money. I should be getting my transfer any day now.
- soccermom - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:46 am:
I got one from a south african guy one time. I know some folks in government over there, so I forwarded it to them. Apparently the guy wound up arrested and charged
- Ken in Aurora - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 11:47 am:
Then there’s the emailed official newsletter I got from Quinn’s office a few days before the election ballyhooing all he had done for the state… and I had never signed up for any such newsletter. Sleazy misuse of public data.
- PPHS - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 12:18 pm:
Mine was a phone call, yesterday. It had a phone number and name. The man identified himself as Alyn McElroy. He was from MBA. He had my Nigerian inheritance.
At that point, I started yelling at him and I hung up.
- just sayin' - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 12:21 pm:
From state gop chair Pat Brady saying give to the IL GOP because Mike Madigan is evil. That’s funny since every House Republican recently voted, by unanimous consent, for Madigan to remain Speaker.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 1:04 pm:
My insurance coverage is about to lapse. Please immediately respond before it is too late!
- MrJM - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 1:22 pm:
How a British mugging goes down - http://youtu.be/ThjnYrThwb0 (Note: contains swears)
– MrJM
- Champaign Dweller - Friday, Feb 11, 11 @ 4:43 pm:
I get a lot from a Japanese lady who needs someone to help her with enforcement of a divorce decree.