5/04/2008

SPAMming the SPAMmer



I'm sure everyone gets two or more spams in a day and it sucks even if you have a bulk/spam folder 'coz precious milliseconds and minute ATPs are wasted. Well, it's been my ritual to check the subject headings first before I forever curse them to spam land. So last week I got this peculiar email from a spammer with a Russian sounding name:


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The spam read like this:

==============================================

Dear Sir/Madam,

Though this approach appears desperate difficulties, encountered in
efforts to establish a business abroad necessitate this search for someone
to assist me in securing and investing a very large sum of money which was
owned by close friend and business partner for a long time.


I am IVAN YURI an English citizen by birth but have leaved all my life in
Russia since I was 10 years old I am 55 years now, I was the personal
assistant and very close friend to LATE MR VIKTOR BARKOV for over
12years the Ex President of a well know firm RUCAS OIL & GAS LTD in
Russia. I left the firm in 1997 after LATE MR VIKTOR BARKOV retired at the
age of 60. Since then I went on to open my soliciting firm in the United
Kingdom and I have manage LATE MR VIKTOR BARKOV funds, which was in the
United Kingdom.


On the 11 of March 2004,it came to my notice that LATE MR VIKTOR BARKOV
was on vacation in Spain ,he was going for sight seeing when he got on
the commuter train system of Madrid when series of coordinated bombings
took place (a suicide bomber with a bag pack on train) in the Madrid
commuter train exploded which killed over 191 people and injured a further
2050 and my dearest friend God bless his sole LATE MR VIKTOR BARKOV was
caught in the incident I always remember when I spoke to him last on the
10th of that month and he told me how Spain was it took me over a year to
get over it and come to reality that he was no more. Since then I have
paid over £150,000 for the last 4 year to secure this funds I have been
looking for any of his relatives since then and only to find out that he
was the last generation of the BARKOV Family single and Died at the age of
65years.


YOUR ROLE:


It came to my notice on the 1st of this month from the security firm where
this funds were deposited that if we cant pay the taxation fess of these
funds by the end of year the funds will be remitted to the British
commission, I have a profiling amount of $20,000,000USD(Twenty Million
Dollars).Which I seek your Partnership in accommodating for me. A You will
be rewarded as mentioned above with 25% of the total sum for your
partnership cooperation. Can you be my partner on this? All I need from
you is to stand as the beneficiary of the above quoted Sum and I will
re-profile the funds with your name, which will enable the European
haulage and private vault Security Company release the consignment of the
funds to you in your name as the new beneficiary to the claims of the
Funds. While 5% should be for expenses or tax as your government may
require. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us having
this
transaction accomplished. I have all the documents (DEPOSIT CERTIFICATE)
and also will be arranging documents from Russia make you a relative that
guarantee this transaction is executed under a legitimate arrangement Also
as a personal lawyer to LATE MR VIKTOR BARKOV i will provide us with all
legal guide in collecting this funds without any trouble for both
countries government. This will protect everyone involved from breach of
the law’s will also send you text of claim application to fill out. You
shall be expect to fill it out and forwarded to the security firm,
requesting for the immediate remittance of the fund into your nominated
account.
It is worthy to note that due to the nature of this transaction absolute
confidentiality is required when the fund has been remitted into your
nominated account. I must assure you, once again, this transaction is safe
and free from any encumbrance because adequate arrangement have been Put
in place for its success. Your sincere cooperation in this regards, will
be duly appreciated. I look forward to your urgent reply.

NB: Due to security reason I need you to contact me on my private email:
ivanyuri165@hotmail.com

Regards,
Mr.Ivan Yuri

=============================================

Impressive, don't you think? Of course, that oil and gas company in Russia exists, and the 2004 bombing line was eerily accurate. The spammers actually do some research before wreaking havoc to our innocent email addresses. I just have to let them know that someone actually read their rubbish so I emailed them back.

This is my spam:


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As expected, I got no response whatsoever. :P


GTGL8RZ!

5 comments:

tigggger said...

hi ,im glad i ve read this ,ive ben inundated ,with by now - what seems to be the whole work force of an african bank ,and now also an aussie ,working from one ,what puzzles me is that ,dont they have anything better to do /or way to earn a living ,which ever is applicable .thanks ,interesting reading ,i may now send some replies myself ,just for the hell of it ( hee hee) ,thanks again .

tigggger said...

thanks interesting reading ,ive been in undated with ,what seems like messages from the whole of an african bank ,shame they have nothing better to do ,or way of earning a living ,

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't replying to the spam be a way for the spammer to validate your email address? This will be a way for them to flag your email address as an existing AND active address. It was cute though... :-)

Rey Q said...

No worries HM. If you din't notice, the email I used is that of "Despy Ration" (obviously, an email I use to stalk the stalkers :P).

Anonymous said...

Funny, got the same email myself, just today (10/2/08)

I spammed him back too, however I'm playing along. I want to see how many emails go back and forth, before he realizes it's a no-go.

His replies will take work, as most of scams are written by people who really have a problem responding in English. Takes more time, and it can be very frustrating. Even the initial email, offering a partnership involving a large sum of money, was a mess.