Spam and phishing posts

[AndyHB]

Just had an email purporting to come from Muammar Gaddafi entitled 'Please I need your help please'.  How crass and inappropriate can some spammers really be.  Mind you, I'm sure when the creator created it it might have seemed timely.  At least it wasn't a virus, just an obvious example of phishing that my spam filter picked up.

What is the most crass/insensitive example of phishing or spam email you've had?

[AndrewF]

I had one purporting to come from a horological colleague (and author) saying hi had been held up at gun-point and had his money, phone etc stolen and was in desperate need of cash to get home from Spain... Poor guy had had all his email addresses form the last 25 years spammed with it ... as it happens I had heard a report on the radio some time back of another (more famous) author who had had exactly the same experience, so I guessed straight away that it was a fake (even if the wording had not been ridiculously suspicious!).
I also have had an email (which several other people who use a particular web auction site also got) saying that one of the very nice & helpful founders of the site (whom we knew to be very ill) had died when he hasn't... Not exactly a phishing email as they didn't ask for anything, but totally crass & insensitive. His poor wife was going through quite enough already... He himself could see the funny side of it (and was greatly cheered by the nice things said about him on the forum after we heard of his 'death', but had the thread deleted rapidly before his wife saw it...

[Jan]

[AndrewF]

I have no doubt that if you did reply you would find there was a handling fee needing to be paid up front...
As you say, Aren't you just the lucky one!

[Jan]

I have no doubt that if you did reply you would find there was a handling fee needing to be paid up front...
As you say, Aren't you just the lucky one!

they sent me another email, exactly the same - the day after. Boy I must be really lucky! 

I so wish we lived in a world where people didn't try to hurt each other. Today in town, we saw someone giving their details to a sales person in the street. We have to be so careful these days with scammers on the net and on the street.

[JJ]

Just on that point, I have been deleting a lot of spam members trying to join Faithspace over the last few weeks.  I notice Andrew F reported elerie whatsisname who sells jewellery earlier today.  I have deleted him/her/it nearly every day for the last week. 

[Jan]

maybe they will give up JJ when they figure that nobody is interested 

... then again

[AndyHB]

Just on that point, I have been deleting a lot of spam members trying to join Faithspace over the last few weeks.  I notice Andrew F reported elerie whatsisname who sells jewellery earlier today.  I have deleted him/her/it nearly every day for the last week. 

Can't you block an IP?

[JJ]

No, tried that a few times.  Maybe it will work eventually.

[AndrewF]

booring! what a waste of your time.... Thanks for trying.
Andrew