never read emails typed in capitals
Friday, November 26th, 2010 03:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caddymanSometimes you just want to bang your head on the desk.
Let me explain: A few minutes ago I received an email from my gullible lackey, with the title: FW: CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS/THIS IS NOT A JOKE PLEASE READ and in the body of the email after her little homily about checking credit/debit card receipts – not bad advice in itself – was the sad tale of someone who was rather public-spiritedly warning us about a cash-back scam in Sainsbury’s.
Even before I’d got to the tale of woe and horror I was suspicious. If ever I receive something that states that it is “not a joke” and that I should “please read”, I am reasonably certain that it is at least spam. And so it was: a quick trip to snopes.com confirmed my suspicions. Sainsbury are on the receiving end in the UK of an old spam Wal-Mart complaint. The email is there on the Snopes website word-for word.
The main point of interest to me was just how obviously American the use of language is, with just the locations switched and £ signs inserted for $ symbols.
Anyway, with lackey being Nigerian, I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t pick up on the differing usage and idiom. I emailed her back saying it was spam and got the response, “but how do these things get around if they’re false?” That was the ‘bang-head-on-desk’ moment.
Because people – and I’m pointing no fingers here – read and forward the bloody things uncritically, that’s how they get out there. That’s how it ended up in my inbox!
‘Oh. But are you sure it isn’t true..?
Let me explain: A few minutes ago I received an email from my gullible lackey, with the title: FW: CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS/THIS IS NOT A JOKE PLEASE READ and in the body of the email after her little homily about checking credit/debit card receipts – not bad advice in itself – was the sad tale of someone who was rather public-spiritedly warning us about a cash-back scam in Sainsbury’s.
Even before I’d got to the tale of woe and horror I was suspicious. If ever I receive something that states that it is “not a joke” and that I should “please read”, I am reasonably certain that it is at least spam. And so it was: a quick trip to snopes.com confirmed my suspicions. Sainsbury are on the receiving end in the UK of an old spam Wal-Mart complaint. The email is there on the Snopes website word-for word.
The main point of interest to me was just how obviously American the use of language is, with just the locations switched and £ signs inserted for $ symbols.
Anyway, with lackey being Nigerian, I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t pick up on the differing usage and idiom. I emailed her back saying it was spam and got the response, “but how do these things get around if they’re false?” That was the ‘bang-head-on-desk’ moment.
Because people – and I’m pointing no fingers here – read and forward the bloody things uncritically, that’s how they get out there. That’s how it ended up in my inbox!
‘Oh. But are you sure it isn’t true..?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-26 04:49 pm (UTC)My pet hate spam scam mail is 'force petrol companies to drop the price in fuel by not buying your petrol from texeco or BP.' mainly cos it just keeps on doing the rounds (last time via facebook) and people just pass it on thinking that this democracy in action rather a rather cynical ploy on behalf of certain other petrol retailers (surely not Wallmart/ASDA again).
If only people could use their brain before sending these things on.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-26 11:20 pm (UTC)This wonderful intarwebby thing is such a good thing that only good things are going to be on it and why would my friends send me something that isn't true, they wouldn't lie to me and their friends wouldn't lie to them that would be too awful!
How could the friend of a friend of a friend of mine tell such lies?
Mind you, I did wonder how someone from Nigeria would even believe such nonsense after they must have been aware of the stuff that originates in that country - or is that why the stuff keeps on coming? because they know we are just as gullible.... Hmmmmmm