A Day In The Life Of A Cat

SPAM

No, I'm not going to talk about canned meat products.

I see spam every day at work. It's a major problem. Even with all the fancy email filters and all the written advice, spam seems to still make it's way into people's lives and cause trouble beyond belief. I know you must have all heard about the PayPay and eBay scams by now. You get an email that says your PayPal or eBay account needs to be updated and to fork over your bank account number and everything will be straightened out.

Never......*NEVER* give your personal information to people via email.

There is even a Washington Mutual scam going on right now. Some people say this is confusing because it looks so real and if you have a Washington Mutual account, why wouldn't you think it was real? Well, when was the last time you got email from your bank? Never. They don't email. They call. I mean, where on your application for an account does it ask for an email address to be reached if there is a question about your account? AND, when you call to check your balance they want to know 20 things before they will even talk to you...like your SSN #, your mothers maiden name, etc. What makes people think they are going to bypass all that security? They're going to just email you and hope your ex con boyfiend who is jonesing for a little crack isn't reading your email?

*rolls eyes*

Come on people.....wake up and smell the spam. This would not be such a problem if we all just sat and thought about this stuff for a minute. When people click on links, reply to the messages, and open attachments, that's what keeps it all going. You are then known as a viable (and stupid) address. Your email address is sold to other spammers and it just goes from there. Plus, they infect your computer with viruses and all kinds of other bad things. So be smart. Think.

I'm going to leave you with one of the most common spam messages I see. It really blows my mind to think people fall for this crap.....if it were real, how would this dude know your email address!?! He just guessed?! And come on....no one named Prince Paul Pelely is going to be sending you email. Sheesh....

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DEAR FRIEND,

COMPLIMENTS OF THE MOMENT. MY NAME IS PRINCE PAUL PELELY, THE PERSONAL AID TO EX-PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA, CHARLES TAYLOR, CURRENTLY LIVING IN ASSYLUM IN A NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY.

AS THE PERSONAL AID TO THE EX-PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA, THERE IS A FUND LODGED WITH A FINANCIAL HOUSE SOMEWHERE IN ABROAD AND BY THE REASON OF MY POSITION IN THE GOVERNMENT, I AND ONLY I ALONE KNOW ABOUT THIS FUND ASIDE THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF. UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE IN A FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT AND I AM SOLICITING FOR YOUR COOPERATION TO HELP US CHANGE THE DEPOSIT STATUS OF THIS FUND, THE PRINCIPAL SUM HERE IS $20.5M.

THIS MONEY IS MY REASON FOR CONTACTING YOU AT THIS TIME. I MAY NOT KNOW YOU BEFORE NOW, BUT I COULD BE LUCKY TO MEET IN YOU, SOMEONE WHO WILL NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE MOMENT.

THIS MONEY WHEN SUCCESSFULLY CLAIMED SHALL BE SHARED ON A TERM WE SHALL AGREE, BUT YOU CAN BE REST ASSURED THAT IT WILL WORTH ALL YOUR EFFORT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I AND I ALONE HAVE THE DETAILS TO THIS EFFECT, BUT CANNOT GET HOLD ON IT FOR NOW, DUE TO THE PREVAILING SITUATION.

I WOULD BEG OF YOU NOT TO REPLY TO THIS MAIL IF YOU ARE NOT SOMEONE I COULD ACCOMPLISH THIS WITH. OUR PERCULIAR SITUATION MAKES PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GO FOR THIS MONEY AND THE EALIER WE REMOVE IT FROM ITS INITIAL DEPOSIT STATUS, THE BETTER FOR US. I WISH YOU ARE A VERY KIND AND HONEST PERSON.

WHEN I HAVE YOUR EXPRESSED AND GENUINE INTEREST TO ASSIST ME IN THIS TRANSACTION, I SHALL WITHOUT HESITATION, FURNISH YOU WITH ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATIONS YOU MAY NEED TO CARRY IT OUT. AND WHEN I FEEL SAFE WITH YOU, I SHALL LET YOU IN INTO A BIGGER DEAL. THIS IS JUST A TIP OF THE ICEBERG. WE SHALL TALK OF YOUR PERCE
NTAGE AS WE MOVE ON.

AND LASTLY, WE SHALL RESTRICT THIS TRANSACTION VIA E-MAIL FOR SECURITY REASONS.

THANKS IN ANTICIPATION.

YOURS SINCERELY,

PRINCE PAUL PELELY.

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