Obviously Junk Email

[JeffOlson]

Do you ever receive email that is obviously junk? What are the senders thinking?

Here's one of the many I received today, this one entitled "Mails On Hold" [without an apostrophe]:

"Dear [email address]
 
"You Will be blocked from sending and receiving emails if not confirmed within 24hrs of receiving this automated mail. You are required to update through the link below.

"UPDATE [link]

"Thanks for using iCloud

"iCloud Team."

It was from "E-MAIL SERVICE," also known as rickim15@aol.com. I wonder what rickim15 is thinking... Perhaps I should send him an email?

[Muzz]

Tons of it out here.

These days scammers are doing well from fake banking sites. They look and sound real. Always headed "Dear Customer". Dead giveaway.

[jackson]

I get a ton of spam & phishing emails BUT only to the email address that I use exclusively for buying stuff on Ebay.  I don't use that address for anything else so I'm convinced that many Ebay sellers are selling the addresses of the customers to make extra $$$$.  I have two other email addresses and I get almost zero spam in either of them.
And yes, it takes a special kind of idiot that would actually believe that these attempts to get your information are authentic.  But obviously, enough people click on them because they keep on coming and coming and coming, etc.

[mcguyver]

I seem to be getting a lot more of late as well. I keep moving it to my junk folder, but it just keeps coming. Is there any other way to stop it? Any one have any ideas?

[cloudbase]

Poor guy. . .

Subject: Nigerian Astronaut Wants To Come Home
Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
Plot 555
Misau Street
PMB 437
Garki, Abuja, FCT NIGERIA

Dear Mr. Sir,

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Salyut 6 space station in 1979. He was on a later Soviet spaceflight, Soyuz T-16Z to the secret Soviet military space station Salyut 8T in 1989. He was stranded there in 1990 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. His other Soviet crew members returned to earth on the Soyuz T-16Z, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional Progrez supply flights to keep him going since that time. He is in good humor, but wants to come home.

In the 14-years since he has been on the station, he has accumulated flight pay and interest amounting to almost $ 15,000,000 American Dollars. This is held in a trust at the Lagos National Savings and Trust Association. If we can obtain access to this money, we can place a down payment with the Russian Space Authorities for a Soyuz return flight to bring him back to Earth. I am told this will cost $ 3,000,000 American Dollars. In order to access the his trust fund we need your assistance.

Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount to your account or subsequent disbursement, since we as civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/ or operating foreign accounts in our names.

Needless to say, the trust reposed on you at this juncture is enormous. In return, we have agreed to offer you 20 percent of the transferred sum, while 10 percent shall be set aside for incidental expenses (internal and external) between the parties in the course of the transaction. You will be mandated to remit the balance 70 percent to other accounts in due course.

Kindly expedite action as we are behind schedule to enable us include downpayment in this financial quarter.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this message via my direct number 234 (0) 9-234-2220 only.

Yours Sincerely, Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager

[JeffOlson]

^ That is awesome!

[tris]

Poor guy. . .

Subject: Nigerian Astronaut Wants To Come Home
Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
Plot 555
Misau Street
PMB 437
Garki, Abuja, FCT NIGERIA

Dear Mr. Sir,

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Salyut 6 space station in 1979. He was on a later Soviet spaceflight, Soyuz T-16Z to the secret Soviet military space station Salyut 8T in 1989. He was stranded there in 1990 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. His other Soviet crew members returned to earth on the Soyuz T-16Z, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional Progrez supply flights to keep him going since that time. He is in good humor, but wants to come home.

In the 14-years since he has been on the station, he has accumulated flight pay and interest amounting to almost $ 15,000,000 American Dollars. This is held in a trust at the Lagos National Savings and Trust Association. If we can obtain access to this money, we can place a down payment with the Russian Space Authorities for a Soyuz return flight to bring him back to Earth. I am told this will cost $ 3,000,000 American Dollars. In order to access the his trust fund we need your assistance.

Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount to your account or subsequent disbursement, since we as civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/ or operating foreign accounts in our names.

Needless to say, the trust reposed on you at this juncture is enormous. In return, we have agreed to offer you 20 percent of the transferred sum, while 10 percent shall be set aside for incidental expenses (internal and external) between the parties in the course of the transaction. You will be mandated to remit the balance 70 percent to other accounts in due course.

Kindly expedite action as we are behind schedule to enable us include downpayment in this financial quarter.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this message via my direct number 234 (0) 9-234-2220 only.

Yours Sincerely, Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager

I need to start reading my junk mail - I'd have loved to have got that one.

Me and a work colleague had some fun for a coupe of weeks pulling the chain of one of these spoof mails - kept the boredom a bay for a while 

[Huzo]

Maybe they left the apostrophe out  because the word "mails" referred to the plural of "mail", "mail is" which would need to be typed "mail's". Ok, that's enough pulling other people's spelling and punctuation to bits for me, but it has been an interesting post.

[JeffOlson]

A new one today:

"I am Mrs Harriet Beeko Afoko I am a widow with a 15 year old daughter. I am contacting you because I am dying and I want you to adopt my daughter. In adopting my daughter, I am willing to allocate to you my funds worth Seven Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ( $7.2million USD)  When I get response from you, I will give you more details.

"Remain blessed.

"Thanks

"Mrs Harriet Afoko"

[Huzo]

Geez! What could possibly go wrong,