Why is spam so poorly targeted?

[AndrewB]

Hey Orlando,

Remember I told you about that e-mail I got the other day saying I could get my B/A, B/S/C, M/A, M/S/C, M/B/A, P/H/D, in 2 weeks without any study required and 100% verifiable ?

Well bro I gave it a shot and now 2 weeks later I have my BA and working on getting my Masters which I will have finished up in the next week and half!

I didn't believe this either man, I was a bit skeptical when i first heard about it too , but the counselor made it clear it was ,.100% legit and the& op,portunity exists due to a legal loophole allowing some established colleges to award degre.es at their dis.cretion.


bro life cant get any better for me right now... I have jobs that wouldn't of gave me a chance before calling me off the hook wanting me to come work for them, also the money i'm capable of making now is amazing!

Listen Orlando,I've known you for over 10years man,I know you have been struggling with bills, and working 2 jobs including your wife is working full time now right ?

Well, Listen to an old friend for once , and do this one thing not just for me and my satisfac,tion of seeing you succeed , but just think how much happier you & your family will be when you are making the money you deserve at a job you actually like!

Take advantage of this opportunity right now man , the counselor told me the other day they aren't accepting many more students for this offer so hurry and call this # 1-(2,0,6,)-984-4134 it will be the best thing you ever did, trust me!

Just leave a brief message with the de.gree you're interested and they will call back A.S,A,P.

Well bud, opport,unity only knocks once... and I opened the door. I'm on my way to being the successful man that I always knew I would be, just didn't think it would be this fast and easy!

let me know how it goes

your friend, Kilgore

What is the thinking behind these kinds of ads? My name isn't Orlando, I'm not married, and I'm already a college graduate. Beyond that, if my only education came from a two-week program "without any study required," how could I hold ANY job?

Beyond THAT, how could anyone whose name ISN'T Orlando with a wife and a friend named Kilgore actually fall for this? Aren't these scammers kind of, you know, limiting their audience?

Durrrr...

[Grazza]

Is the idea that you're meant to believe you received a genuine but misdirected e-mail with some valuable information in it?

[Bloodshedder]

1. Spammers lie.
   
2. If you think a spammer is telling the truth, see Rule #1.
   
3. Spammers are stupid.

[insertwackynamehere]

we're on a messageboard of aware people. but spammers target audience isnt people like us, its people who think that they'll blow thier computer up by turning it on wrong. people who believe they really are the millionth visitor and won a free ipod. the spammers get to have fun writing stupid spam emails and people actually do believe them. maybe they think the names were messed up or corrupted in the sending? a lot of the message looked messed up. stuff like that is how people fall for it.

[AirRaid]

Grazza said:

Is the idea that you're meant to believe you received a genuine but misdirected e-mail with some valuable information in it?

Yes.

[geekmarine]

My God, anyone who does fall for that should be dragged out in the street and shot. How the hell dumb do you have to be? More importantly, how the hell do such dumbass people continue to live? You'd think they'd be incapable of functioning in modern society or something, given their apparent gullibility level.

Oh, and LMAO at the idea that people seem to think that a little piece of paper will get you a swell job without any actual knowledge.

[Belial]

You'd be surprised how many people still fall for the 'u haev won $1000000 jsut send us $1000 2 get it' trick. Before I specifically ordered my post office to dump such crap mail I had at least one such offer each week.

[Goat]

KILGORE huh


i didnt think anyone was named that anymore

[Janderson]

Y'know, if you were a postal worker and could identify returning spam letters, you could take the cash without a blemish on your conscience.

[leileilol]

i get awesome poems and stories emos wish they wrote

"In travel it harpy year"

Sometimes a life glides away, and finds it still ripening in the that my tenderness was bought - and sold to you, of all men on
I was going to propose any new kind of vaccination, or other always devoted to writing to the dearest girl in the world.
serving in them. It appeared so long, since I had been a schoolboy neck. You find him in my house, you find him in my business. You
flowers that have ever come under my observation; but I knew from
Oh, husband. I am so glad, yet so sorry. creeping closer to me,
I hope the next time you come here, my dear fellow, I say to her favourite name of a goose, and hid her face on my shoulder in
If Masr Davy and my sister comes aboard at Gravesen, arternoon o of the bell. The little parlour-maid came out, with the key in her
Glancing round as I made a suitable reply, I observed that the and proclaim himself a lawyer? Whether he could come out by force
imagine. There was something fearful in the reality of it. It was I went on at a mighty rate, as if it could be done by walking.
with me, sir. No one can never fill the place thats empty. But To discount that bill, said Mrs. Micawber, then my opinion is,

[St. Doom]

it got cut off

[Bucket]

Funny this thread should appear as Slashdot runs an article on "spear-phishing".

[Enjay]

Spam isn't badly targetted. A lot of it isn't targetted at all. If with a click of a button you can send 50 000 000 e-mails, you don't care how many end up on stoney ground because (apparently) enough of them don't. It's the Nam carpet bombing approach rather than the laser guided pinpoint accuracy that we were supposed to see in the gulf.

[Cyberdemon]

Spam tastes funny.

[-_DLD_-]

So does Cyberdemon.

[TheDarkArchon]

So does Imp pussy. XD

[myk]

I like the ones that offer you a few million bucks right out of thin air:

Sir,

I am the Chairman of the contract Award/Advisory Committee (CAAC) of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in my country(FMSMD). I am seeking your assistance to enable me transfer the sum of US$7,500,000.00 (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) into your private/company account.

The fund came about as a result of sales from siezed Tantalite Ore (Ta205) and raw Gold (Au) from artisanal miners without mining licences by my ministry (Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development) during the Tantalite boom--1999-2001.

The sales contract has been satisfactorily executed and inspected as the Broker (Bulgarian firm) is presently securing payment from my Ministry, where I am the Executive Director in-charge of all foreign contract payment approval.

On actualization, the fund will be disbursed as stated below.

1. 30% of the fund will be for you as beneficiary .
2. 5% for reimbursement to both parties for incidental expenses that may beincurred during the course of the transaction.
3. 65% of the fund will be for me and my colleagues who we intend to invest in your country with you as my partner.

I would require the following: -

1. Your company's name, address, telephone and fax numbers.

The requested information would be used to make formal application as a matter of procedure to the Apex bank for the release and onward remittance of the money to your account via telegraphic transfer (T.T.).

Please note,time is of the essence in this business as a result of the last financial quarter of the year.


I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation.

Yours faithfully,
Dr.Amaka Spiff

[Csonicgo]

I used to keep in touch with a guy in chicago that made his hobby at 419, a community designed to poke fun at nigerian spammers. those nigerian spamlord dorks will do ANYTHING.

[The Ultimate DooMer]

AndrewB said:

Beyond THAT, how could anyone whose name ISN'T Orlando with a wife and a friend named Kilgore actually fall for this? Aren't these scammers kind of, you know, limiting their audience?

Well there's a lot of people in the DooM community with a friend called Kilgore (since someone with that name actually exists in it).

Still they'd be stupid if they fell for it...

[Fletcher`]

Whats worse? spammers or the morons who fall for them?

[Bloodshedder]

If nobody bought anything from spam or fell for any scams, there would be no reason to perpetrate them.

[Captain Red]

But how else am I going to do my Christmas shopping?

[-_DLD_-]

Bloodshedder said:

If nobody bought anything from spam or fell for any scams, there would be no reason to perpetrate them.

I think only 0.01% or whatever it is has to fall for spam for it to be successful enough to carry on.