NY Holds Spam Scam Contest

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."

Comments

My favorite version of the Nigerian style scam

[gnugnugnu]

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

If only darl had used email...

[Amiga Lover]

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

Scams?

[91degrees]

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.

April 1st?

[zecg]

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

Free Money!

[PacoTaco]

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

Re:Free Money!

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Quickly!

[Dark Lord Seth]

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

I need your help

[rqqrtnb]

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!?

Re:I need your help

[Anonymous Coward]

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?

How to vote

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Make Penis Fast

[DustMagnet]

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

In related news...

[mabu]

* 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.