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NY Holds Spam Scam Contest

Posted by michael on from the i-send-you-this-file-in-order-to-have-your-advice dept.

evilquaker writes "The state of New York's Consumer Protection Board is running a contest they call 'Spam and Bologna'. Their goal is to help educate the public, so fewer people will fall for Nigerian scams (and others) in the future. The contest is actually to find the most outrageous example of an email scam, and ends in one month. Yahoo! News provides some more information."

20 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Thousands of people get the same spam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    How can someone win such a contest? by definition, isn't spam sent out to hundreds of thousands of people... lots of people will have the same "m4k3 y0ur p3n1s th1ck3r" emails ... (along with any truely outragous things they might also get)

  2. My favorite version of the Nigerian style scam by gnugnugnu · · Score: 5, Funny
    My favorite version of the Nigerian style scam

    IMMEDIATE ATTENTION NEEDED:

    HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL

    FROM: GEORGE WALKER BUSH
    DEAR SIR / MADAM,

    I AM GEORGE WALKER BUSH, SON OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, AND CURRENTLY SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS LETTER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT MET NEITHER IN PERSON NOR BY CORRESPONDENCE. I CAME TO KNOW OF YOU IN MY SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE A VERY CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS TRANSACTION, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF A HUGE SUM OF MONEY TO AN ACCOUNT REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE.

    I AM WRITING YOU IN ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE PRIMARILY TO SEEK YOUR ASSISTANCE IN ACQUIRING OIL FUNDS THAT ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ. MY PARTNERS AND I SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING A TRANSACTION BEGUN BY MY FATHER, WHO HAS LONG BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE EXTRACTION OF PETROLEUM IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND BRAVELY SERVED HIS COUNTRY AS DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.

    IN THE DECADE OF THE NINETEEN-EIGHTIES, MY FATHER, THEN VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SOUGHT TO WORK WITH THE GOOD OFFICES OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ TO REGAIN LOST OIL REVENUE SOURCES IN THE NEIGHBORING ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN. THIS UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURE WAS SOON FOLLOWED BY A FALLING OUT WITH HIS IRAQI PARTNER, WHO SOUGHT TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL OIL REVENUE SOURCES IN THE NEIGHBORING EMIRATE OF KUWAIT, A WHOLLY-OWNED U.S.-BRITISH SUBSIDIARY.

    MY FATHER RE-SECURED THE PETROLEUM ASSETS OF KUWAIT IN 1991 AT A COST OF SIXTY-ONE BILLION U.S. DOLLARS ($61,000,000,000). OUT OF THAT COST.

    THIRTY-SIX BILLION DOLLARS ($36,000,000,000) WERE SUPPLIED BY HIS PARTNERS IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER PERSIAN GULF MONARCHIES, AND SIXTEEN BILLION DOLLARS ($16,000,000,000) BY GERMAN AND JAPANESE PARTNERS.

    BUT MY FATHER'S FORMER IRAQI BUSINESS PARTNER REMAINED IN CONTROL OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ AND ITS PETROLEUM RESERVES.

    MY FAMILY IS CALLING FOR YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN FUNDING THE REMOVAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ AND ACQUIRING THE PETROLEUM ASSETS OF HIS COUNTRY, AS COMPENSATION FOR THE COSTS OF REMOVING HIM FROM POWER.

    UNFORTUNATELY, OUR PARTNERS FROM 1991 ARE NOT WILLING TO SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF THIS NEW VENTURE, WHICH IN ITS UPCOMING PHASE MAY COST THE SUM OF 100 BILLION TO 200 BILLION DOLLARS ($100,000,000,000 - $200,000,000,000), BOTH IN THE INITIAL ACQUISITION AND IN LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT.

    WITHOUT THE FUNDS FROM OUR 1991 PARTNERS, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE OIL REVENUE TRAPPED WITHIN IRAQ. THAT IS WHY MY FAMILY AND OUR COLLEAGUES ARE URGENTLY SEEKING YOUR GRACIOUS ASSISTANCE. OUR DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES IN THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION INCLUDE THE SITTING VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, RICHARD CHENEY, WHO IS AN ORIGINAL PARTNER IN THE IRAQ VENTURE AND FORMER HEAD OF THE ALLIBURTON OIL COMPANY, AND CONDOLEEZA RICE, WHOSE PROFESSIONAL DEDICATION TO THE VENTURE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN THE NAMING OF A CHEVRON OIL TANKER AFTER HER.

    I WOULD BESEECH YOU TO TRANSFER A SUM EQUALING TEN TO TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT (10-25 %) OF YOUR YEARLY INCOME TO OUR ACCOUNT TO AID IN THIS IMPORTANT VENTURE. THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL FUNCTION AS OUR TRUSTED INTERMEDIARY. I PROPOSE THAT YOU MAKE THIS TRANSFER BEFORE THE FIFTEENTH (15TH) OF THE MONTH OF APRIL.

    I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD MAKE ANYONE APPREHENSIVE AND WORRIED. BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY. A BOLD STEP TAKEN SHALL NOT BE REGRETTED, I ASSURE YOU. PLEASE DO BE INFORMED THAT THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION IS 100% LEGAL. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CO-OPERATE IN THIS TRANSACTION, PLEASE CONTACT OUR INTERMEDIARY REPRESENTATIVES TO FURTHER DISCUSS THE MATTER.

    I PRAY THAT YOU UNDERSTAND OUR PLI

    1. Re:My favorite version of the Nigerian style scam by amembleton · · Score: 2, Funny

      seriously though, who would read past the first line if they were sent this written like it is..?

      Tony Blair, Jose Maria Aznar and John Howard to name a few.

    2. Re:My favorite version of the Nigerian style scam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      Bush on the other hand can barely even form a sentence.

      He's quite good at the death sentance.

  3. If only darl had used email... by Amiga+Lover · · Score: 5, Funny

    If only darl had used email to contact prospective SCO linux license clients he'd be a shoe-in

  4. Scams? by 91degrees · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think you must be wrong. I've responded to at least 200 of these, and therefore have in excess of $7030 000 000 000. Sadly, it all seems to be locked away in foreign security companies. I've just made the last round of payments though, and expect to see it delivered any day now.

    1. Re:Scams? by 91degrees · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nope. This is me.

  5. April 1st? by zecg · · Score: 4, Funny

    Spam & Bologna? All the news/releases on the ends of all the provided links are dated April 1st? So, how can we trust it?

    --
    .i lu doi ringos.star. xu do puku'aroroi dunli dopecaku leni virnu li'u
  6. Free Money! by PacoTaco · · Score: 4, Funny
    Want some free money? All you need to do is send $5 to each of the names on the following list. It's only five bucks, so it's not much of a risk. After you send the money (PayPal only please) hit "reply" and remove #1. Add your name to the bottom and repost this message. Pretty soon, people will be sending you money! In a couple days, you'll have something like $85,000. That's all there is to it!

    1. PacoTaco
    2. PacoTaco
    3. PacoTaco
    4. PacoTaco
    5. PacoTaco

    1. Re:Free Money! by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny

      Get with the millenium. There's new software that automates the whole process including the transfers using your PayPal ID. Just install the latest Microsoft Security Update that you should find in your email.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    2. Re:Free Money! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Want some free money? All you need to do is send $5 to each of the names on the following list. It's only five bucks, so it's not much of a risk. After you send the money (PayPal only please) hit "reply" and remove #1. Add your name to the bottom and repost this message. Pretty soon, people will be sending you money! In a couple days, you'll have something like $85,000. That's all there is to it!

      1. PacoTaco
      2. PacoTaco
      3. PacoTaco
      4. PacoTaco
      5. Anonymous Coward

  7. obligatory Monty Python quote by ObligatoryQuoteGuy · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Well, there's egg and bacon; egg, sausage and bacon; egg and spam; bacon and spam; egg, bacon, sausage and spam; spam, bacon, sausage and spam; spam, egg, spam, spam, bacon and spam; spam, spam, spam, egg and spam; spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, spam and spam; or Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce garnished with truffle pate', brandy and a fried egg on top of spam."

  8. Quickly! by Dark+Lord+Seth · · Score: 5, Funny

    Someone nominate the letter SCO sent to those Fortune 500 companies!

    --
    Hate me!
  9. I need your help by rqqrtnb · · Score: 5, Funny

    My search a winning entry for this contest is going to cost $800. However, I am guaranteed to be the winner. I have $500 saved up already, so if you send me $300 I will split the top prize with you 50/50. Even though you only provide 37.5% of the cost, you get 50% of the benefit! How could you go wrong!?

    1. Re:I need your help by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      The sum of USD 800.00 (EIGHT HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS)? Are you sure this is 100% risk free? Have all modalities been put in place?

    2. Re:I need your help by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Will you direct deposit my winnings to my account if I give you my bank account number and my Social Security number?

  10. How to vote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny
    From official site:

    To vote for 'Spam and Bologna' Contest, please click the link below and register first. Registration takes about 5 minutes and you must be 18 or older to register. For age verification, you must enter your credit card number and PIN, along with your full name, address and your mother's maiden name. This is for age verification purpose only, and your information will not be shared with third party....

    Consumer Proekchon Bored
  11. my favorites by CAIMLAS · · Score: 2, Funny

    my favorites have only come by recently. while not 'nigerian' scams, they're still certainly scams. likely the first creative/entertaining spam I've seen. Ive not actually read them, but their subject lines are roughly as follows, with mixed case, l33t speak, etc etc.:

    rocket penis
    bullet penis
    reactor penis
    penis launcher 3g
    penis launcher md
    penis launcher pro
    penis rocket TM

    etc. etc.

    Quite humorous stuff.

    --
    ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
  12. Make Penis Fast by DustMagnet · · Score: 3, Funny

    No one would ever forget Make Penis Fast after reading it. No male that is.

    --
    'SBEMAIL!' is better than a goat!!
  13. In related news... by mabu · · Score: 4, Funny

    * Dept of Homeland security launches new, "show us your funniest pipe bomb" contest.

    * SCO announces $1M contest for "best stolen Unix code snippet".

    * Elizabeth Glazier Foundation promotes AIDS awareness campaign encouraging people to tell them their funniest unprotected sex story.

    * Church of Latter-Day Saints sells Joseph Smith-emblazoned coffee mugs in its gift shop.

    * DEA announces new contest: "What's the stupiest thing you've done while high on crack?"

    * Diebold unveils ad campaign around their new contest: "Show us your funniest fake voter registration card."

    * Mothers Against Drunk Driving sets up survey on their web site encouraging people to vote for their favorite alcoholic beverage.