SPAM. It IS good for something.

[Ellen]

So, all of a sudden I''ve been getting a rash of spam. They are fairly similar, with the end result being that I get a lot of money. Some of it has been awarded to me, just waiting for some personal info.

A few were about a deceased person who left a substantial amount of money in the bank. There are no relatives, but the overseer of this account is willing to share it with me. All I have to do is pay a small fee for some misc. charge. Riiiight. I''m sure some of you have gotten some of these.

So anyway, at first I was ignoring and deleting.

Then I started to get just a wee bit irritated, and responded to a couple with, How stupid do you think I am?

Then it changed to a response of, Idiot.

Then it escalated to, BLANK OFF and stop sending these.

After that, I realized I could take out all my frustrations on these people, say the most offensive things, and there would be absolutely no repercussions. Except I might feel better.

I would never dream of speaking this way to someone other than these scammers, but they deserve it.

The last one tried to tell me I was doing something illegal by dealing with whomever (of course I''m not dealing with anyone!), and to promptly contact them. I told them they were doing something illegal, and I was turning the email over to the FBI.

Try it, you''ll like it.

 

[FireGoddess]

Funny Ellen! Only one thing I wanted to mention about that...

A lot of spammers actually hack into real people's email account names and send the spam so that the actual account holder gets the replies. This has been happening to me. I contacted my company about it (it's my WORK email) and they told me there was nothing they could do to stop it, and wouldn't issue me a new account. So I get these bounced emails all the time from spam that didn't reach an actual account, and it is annoying. (Most of mine seem to be about enhancing your manhood and things like that.

) I can only imagine that getting verbally berated in replies would make me even more upset, because I'm not the one sending the spam. I am a victim of it too.

Just wanted to let you know that in all likelihood, the actual spammer is never seeing your replies...the victim of the hacking is.

It may be different with fishing schemes though, as they want to take your money. I just wish there was a way to get to the actual spammer, because I'd give him/her the @sskicking of a lifetime.

 

[Ellen]

Well shoot FG, thanks for raining on my parade.

Guess I''ll have to take it out on the kids.

 

[Lynn B]

One more thing, I don''t know if it''s still this way (maybe technology has improved and this no longer is the case?) but a few years back I remember the IS tech at work telling us to NEVER respond (reply) to spam. He said the reason is because those kinds of messages are generated out willy nilly to millions of addresses (whether they are known to be in use or not) and when we respond/reply that shows the sender that BA-DA-BING, here''s a live one, a real address with a real person! And THAT just gets you more spam.

He also said the "unsubscribe" button on some of those types of mail is to encourage the same thing... don''t do it! Just delete.

 

[KimberlyH]

Thanks to your title, Ellen, I now have the song "WAR, huh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin''. Say it again!" running through my head.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 6/26/2008 10:52:49 AM
Author: Lynn B
One more thing, I don''t know if it''s still this way (maybe technology has improved and this no longer is the case?) but a few years back I remember the IS tech at work telling us to NEVER respond (reply) to spam. He said the reason is because those kinds of messages are generated out willy nilly to millions of addresses (whether they are known to be in use or not) and when we respond/reply that shows the sender that BA-DA-BING, here''s a live one, a real address with a real person! And THAT just gets you more spam.


He also said the ''unsubscribe'' button on some of those types of mail is to encourage the same thing... don''t do it! Just delete.

That is true.
An unverified email address is worth about .0001 cent.
A verified email address where the person replied in any way is worth around 75 cents on the spam market and will get sold 100s of times.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 6/26/2008 10:58:59 AM
Author: KimberlyH
Thanks to your title, Ellen, I now have the song ''WAR, huh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin''. Say it again!'' running through my head.

Sorry.

Ok guys, I get it. Ignore. Not near as much fun though.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

There is a book you might look at to get your fix without risking your email. http://www.amazon.com/Delete-This-Your-Peril-Hilarious/dp/1602392757/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214494601&sr=8-1 its very funny and I certainly got a kick out of it.

I keep a seperate email for signing up for things so it gets the vast majority of my spam. My personal and work email stay clean and I still have a way to register for websites.

 

[Ellen]

Ha ha! Thanks, sounds like the author and I have something in common.

 

[Ninama]

I''ve only done the retaliatory replies to Craigslist scammers. I once sent an affirmative email ("Sold - let''s do business") but with "my" name and address comprised of some pretty juvenile stuff, like...

"Send that money order to:

F**kface McD**k
123 S**t Creek Rd.
East B**tf**k, Egypt

... and make it snappy, a**h***"

You know what? They replied to that as if it were nothing - as if we were on course for a transaction!

 

[Ali]

Date: 6/26/2008 9:42:41 AM
Author:Ellen

After that, I realized I could take out all my frustrations on these people, say the most offensive things, and there would be absolutely no repercussions.

This is true, unless you count getting MORE spam as a repercussion.
Once the spammer gets a response, your email address is automatically verified and sold to the masses.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 6/26/2008 10:47:44 AM
Author: Ellen
Well shoot FG, thanks for raining on my parade.

SORRY!!!

Guess I''ll have to take it out on the kids.

Now that''s quick thinkin''. LOL!!!!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 6/26/2008 12:39:18 PM
Author: Ninama

I''ve only done the retaliatory replies to Craigslist scammers. I once sent an affirmative email (''Sold - let''s do business'') but with ''my'' name and address comprised of some pretty juvenile stuff, like...

''Send that money order to:

F**kface McD**k
123 S**t Creek Rd.
East B**tf**k, Egypt

... and make it snappy, a**h***''

You know what? They replied to that as if it were nothing - as if we were on course for a transaction!

I don''t know what''s funnier, your response, or the fact that they accepted it!! Good one.



Ali, you''re right, apparently there are repercussions I didn''t know about.

FG, I''m always thinkin. Got to with 3 boys.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/26/2008 11:28:49 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 6/26/2008 10:58:59 AM
Author: KimberlyH
Thanks to your title, Ellen, I now have the song ''WAR, huh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin''. Say it again!'' running through my head.

Sorry.

No need to apologize, it made me laugh on several occasions today.

 

[miraclesrule]

Date: 6/26/2008 10:58:59 AM
Author: KimberlyH
Thanks to your title, Ellen, I now have the song ''WAR, huh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin''. Say it again!'' running through my head.

I totally had that album. I played it so much, I had to replace it because of all the scratches...too funny!!

 

[angeline]

Date: 6/26/2008 12:39:18 PM
Author: Ninama


I''ve only done the retaliatory replies to Craigslist scammers. I once sent an affirmative email (''Sold - let''s do business'') but with ''my'' name and address comprised of some pretty juvenile stuff, like...


''Send that money order to:


F**kface McD**k

123 S**t Creek Rd.

East B**tf**k, Egypt


... and make it snappy, a**h***''


You know what? They replied to that as if it were nothing - as if we were on course for a transaction!

Is there a rolling on the floor, clutching your belly laughing/crying icon? cos there should be!

I would be using it right about now..