Today's SPAM

[caerau]

Yeah sure, sorry don't get me wrong - unusual or particularly pernicious ones I agree, report them - but the usual bollox I'm sure they're about as interested to hear about them as we are to report them - life is too short.

[Mr Larrington]

[...] no explanation from here explains it.

Very very stupid scammers?  They can't do basic arithmetic so remembering to change a link ranks in difficulty alongside cracking Nazi ciphers or explaining the popularity of Boris Johnson.

[rafletcher]

Blimey, had 4 from "Paypal" relating to "unauthorised activity on your account".  That's one per (genuine) transaction over the last few days. Only give-away (given I haven't clicked on any links so can't see what the next screens look like) is the address they're sent from. Otherwise look very professional.

[Ian H]

I received an offer of home working at a ludicrously generous rate.  The (disguised) link is:-
http: // f***********i.edu.br/wp-content/plugins/all-in-one-wp-security-and-firewall/lib/whois/

Which suggests a legitimate Wordpress site hacked in an interesting way.

[Ian H]

Weirder and weirder.

Hello Dear,

Good day, I would like to make a reservation in your
facility for four groups of people and they are coming from
United Kindom for their family  vacation/holiday.
 
 2) Mr. Peter Jibson and Mrs. Jibson Tina.
 3) Mr. David Herbinet and Mrs. Herbinet Morin.
 4) Mr. Richard Hopkins and Mrs. Hopkins Sandra.
 5) Mr. James Donovan and Mrs. Donovan Jayne
 
 
 Kindly give to me the total cost for the reservation.
 
 Arrival date: 15 August 2016.
 Departure date: 29 August 2016.
 Number of nights: 14 nights.
 Number of days: 14 days.
 Number of persons: 8
 Numbers/Type of rooms: 4 DBL rooms and Breakfast
 
 Warmest Regards,
 Yolande Sontia
 yolande_sontia01  @  yahoo.com

[dave r]

Spam E-mails are things I don't see very often, but I've just been clearing out my spam folder and found this little gem, the first thing I picked up was the racism in the name.

Safe Keep And Investment

Sir,
I make this appeal with the hope that I can trust you to assist me with securing my funds in an offshore account in Europe. The content of this mail are expressed in confidence and solely for your personal information.
I am Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former national security adviser. I am using this medium to request for your assistance in transferring ownership of the sum of US$28.8m presently invested in an offshore bank in Europe. The fund is proceeds from an over inflated military contract awarded during my time as the national security adviser.
I am seeking your assistance to transfer ownership of this fund to you for safe-keep, investment and preventing the fund from being seized by the government. Thus far, the Nigerian government has not traced this account and it will remain so to the extent that this proposal remain confidential.
I offer you 20% of the total sum for your assistance, 80% will be mine. I assure you that this transaction is risk-free. More details will be availed to you upon your reply with required information.
As a former government official already facing trial. I can not afford more scandals. You are also advised to act swiftly. If my proposal is accepted, then fill out the below with your information.
Full names:
Home address:
Mobile phone number:
Occupation:
Age:
Marital status:
My lawyer will contact you upon receipt of your reply with details of information requested to prepare the necessary document that will give you access to the fund. I await your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Col. Dasuki Sambo (rtd)

[ian]

Sambo (I assume that's what you mean) is not an uncommon Nigerian name. As for the rest of it, sounds like a great deal. I've earned $126,347,264 from these schemes in the last five years. I dunno why everyone keeps saying they're scams. I fly to Nigeria in my private jet to pick up the suitcases full of cash.

[dave r]

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Sambo.aspx

I assume you're taking the P*** ?

[ian]

No, it really is a name, I've met a few people called that on my travels in Nigeria. I was a bit 'erm...' the first time. It's not from the same root. Hausa term for 'gentle man' says Google.

I might have been untruthful about $126 million though.

[jsabine]

Col. Sambo Dasuki really was Nigeria's National Security Advisor from 2012 to 2015.

There's plenty of actual racism around: there's no need to read it into the real name of a real person.

[dave r]

No, it really is a name, I've met a few people called that on my travels in Nigeria. I was a bit 'erm...' the first time. It's not from the same root. Hausa term for 'gentle man' says Google.

I might have been untruthful about $126 million though.

If you look on the internet there's a lot about the name sambo, there's even a Russian martial art under that name, SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, but I'm most familiar with the derogatory use of it.

[jsabine]

There are plenty of derogatory uses of the word Paddy.

I hope you wouldn't call me a racist simply for saying I rode part of an audax in Ireland with two Paddies.

[ian]

Sambo Dasuki was actually Nigeria's National Security Advisor. He 'retired' after after someone noticed he was in the habit buying invisible fighter jets and helicopters.

ETA: sorry, JSabine beat me to it while I poured my coffee.

Anyway, it's a non-offensive name in West Africa. Attitudes to racism are very different (and not necessarily better).

[mrcharly-YHT]

Sambo Dasuki was actually Nigeria's National Security Advisor. He 'retired' after after someone noticed he was in the habit buying invisible fighter jets and helicopters.

In the USA, don't they call those stealth fighters?

[ian]

They were very effective. No one has yet managed to find them.

[Ian H]

There seems to be a glut of "Hi Ian" from an email contact, followed by <link> and some kind of sign-off.  No-one has ever mentioned getting one ostensibly from me.

[Phil W]

There are plenty of derogatory uses of the word Paddy.

I hope you wouldn't call me a racist simply for saying I rode part of an audax in Ireland with two Paddies.

And a nice fellow rider he was indeed.

[Moleman76]

"Dear joel,

"Please find attached the profile of Mr.Bird for a suitable role in your Organisation

"King regards,
"Sofia Roberson
"VP Finance & Controller"

this, the second, or third, message containing Mr. Bird's profile; all sent with "king" regards.  Attachment likely contained ransomware.

[Pickled Onion]

I had the usual batch of three of those, with the "King regards" (is that short for ***king regards?). Apparently from India, Ireland and the US 

Followed shortly by a set with their references. Then the reports I requested. Then the spreadsheets I contacted them about. It's all a bit tedious.

[Pickled Onion]

First Brexit-inspired spam today. The Director of a legal firm in Vilnius has offered to get me Lithuanian citizenship and an EU passport. Apparently people with UK passports "will not be able to visit other countries in the European Union soon". 

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I've no idea about Sambo but apparently Interpol thinks it has caught Mike:

Online fraud: Top Nigerian scammer arrested

He'll probably be needing your help soon to conceal vast sums of ill-gotten gains.  Just give him your bank account and you'll be rich for life on the commission.

[Diver300]

From backup@emoda.ro

L.A.X AIRPORT SECURITY
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045, United States


ATTENTION:Notice On Your Consignment Box reg #: JG1N8875BS.


Today we have discovered an abandoned metal suitcase with reg code#: JG1N8875BS originally scheduled to be delivered to you by the agency foreign payment service New York. This Suitcase is a metal box when scanned by a forensic scanner was revealed to contain 100 dollars bills valued $2,316,000USD (Two Million, Three Hundred and Sixteen thousand United States dollars) which has been under Security survaell ance for a number of days now.

I am writing to inform you that we have investigated the said Suitcase and the investigation proved the legitimacy of its content. Note, The Funds which belongs to you was initially scheduled for delivery to your residense, The Diplomat who arrived with the Consignment made several attempts to reach you all efforts proved abortive so he decided to leave for his country but before he left he settled the delivery charges and left the Storage Keeping Charges unpaid due to the reasons that he did not know when you will attempt to claim the consignment and the Cargo and Storage Unit charges $20.00 for each day the Consignment box stays in their custody for its safety keeping.

You are therefore advised to make contact with Jerry Lambert of All American Courier, llc, a U.S Customs Broker to assist you recover your Consignment box and deliver it to your home. You may contact him through his email:(jerrylambert0001@gmail.com) to recover your Consignment or we will be compelled to list your Fund as an unclaimed consignment and maybe forfeited and moved to the United States Treasury Department for holding.


for more information please contact +1-(310) 736-1070

God Bless

Best regards
Airport Storage and Cargo Unit
(LAX) Los Angeles International Airport
David Morrison, Director.

[JennyB]

I edit an Arts e-magazine blog (corncrakemagazie.com if anyone's interested) and get a fair bit of comment spam, mostly with a generic comment and a website url in the sender field. One persistent offender purportedly comes (via various email addresses) from the Wikipedia Canary Islands page. 

I had to laugh at their latest 'comment':

Hello, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get
a lot of spam remarks? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can advise?
I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any support is very much appreciated.

My sentiments exactly. 

[Canardly]

Being bombarded with SPAM atm, everything from insurance, prize winning, credit cards to chocolate tasting. No spyware on board that I can find. Had a phone call at 8:15 in the morning 'This is BT Accounts department' (Asian branch?). Does anyone at BT work before 9am? Sigh.

[T42]

Being phished at via a UAF acquaintance's email account.  Over the last couple of years that has happened a few times with different UAF people, starting with the ex-prez but one.  Curious.