We have a winner!



  • 419 spammers are always trying to look legitimate. This helps them snare prospective marks. It appears that those writing these emails feel that lots of numbers and codes will help seal the deal (Victim: "Look at all these reference numbers! These guys are the REAL THING!").

    Usually, two or three of these numbers will do - sometimes four on your more intrepid lottery scams. But a money-smuggling 419 I got this evening really takes the cake. Bear witness! If reference numbers make you look legitimate, then this is the most legitimate email ever!

    "The Prime Minister of Britain in conjunction with U.S.A GOVERNMENT, WORLD BANK, UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION do hereby give this irrevocable joint approval order with your Release Code: WGB/3480/02/08 in your favor for your Contract, Inheritance and Winning Entitlements.

    Now your new Payment, United Nations Approval No; UN5685P, White House Approval No: WH45CV, Transfer Reference No.-36350021, Transfer Allocation No: 674876 Password: 339331, Pin Code: 78569 and your Certificate of Merit Payment No: 104, Release Code No: 0876; Immediate Hsbc Telex confirmation No: -222568; Secret Code: XXTN014."


    For those of you who lost track, that's eleven reference numbers. I don't know about you, but I think I'm gonna reply. I mean, jeez - how would they even KNOW all those numbers if they weren't for real?



  •  Wait, is that - ...

    It is! It's an actual negative number!

    The idea of transaction identifiers being signed makes my head hurt. Badly.



  • @Yorick said:

     Wait, is that - ...

    It is! It's an actual negative number!

    The idea of transaction identifiers being signed makes my head hurt. Badly.

     

    I guess it's ok, since your actual winning is also a negative one.



  • I actually work for the world bank and I just ran these numbers through our system.  It appears to be a ligitimate transaction.  But since I'm the one who scanned the numbers, I'm the only one who can withdraw the money.  If you PM me your bank account number, however, I'd be more than happy to deposit it in your account.



  • @vt_mruhlin said:

    I actually work for the world bank and I just ran these numbers through our system.  It appears to be a ligitimate transaction.  But since I'm the one who scanned the numbers, I'm the only one who can withdraw the money.  If you PM me your bank account number, however, I'd be more than happy to deposit it in your account.

    I still haven't figured out the PM system, but here you go -- routing: 30008206 account: 711049972

     

    Note to anyone except vt_mruhlin:  Do not read the information above.  It is a PRIVATE MESSAGE and the contents are classified and for his eye's only.  Anyone found reading this message will be charged with the highest crimes allowable in their country.



  • @PeriSoft said:

    ... Release Code: WGB/3480/02/08 ... United Nations Approval No; UN5685P, White House Approval
    No: WH45CV, Transfer Reference No.-36350021, Transfer Allocation No:
    674876 Password: 339331, Pin Code: 78569 and your Certificate of Merit
    Payment No: 104, Release Code No: 0876; Immediate Hsbc Telex
    confirmation No: -222568; Secret Code: XXTN014."

    (in fetal position in the corner, quivering and muttering quietly) "...the key, the whole key and nothing but the key, so help me Codd..."

    THE KEY! LOOK AT THE KEY! t-t-t-that... T-t-t-there... AAAA... THE KEY!

    (The guys in white coats arrive)



  • @WWWWolf said:

    (in fetal position in the corner, quivering and muttering quietly) "...the key, the whole key and nothing but the key, so help me Codd..."

    THE KEY! LOOK AT THE KEY! t-t-t-that... T-t-t-there... AAAA... THE KEY!

    (The guys in white coats arrive)

    09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0?


  • @vt_mruhlin said:

    If you PM me your bank account number, however, I'd be more than happy to deposit it in your account.
    Plz send me teh codez too.

     On a different note I don't see why they need to get so creative. I once had a user call me and ask if it was ok that she had entered her bank account information in a web form in response to an email from her "bank".



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    Note to anyone except vt_mruhlin:  Do not read the information above.  It is a PRIVATE MESSAGE and the contents are classified and for his eye's only.  Anyone found reading this message will be charged with the highest crimes allowable in their country.

    Damn! Couldn't you have said that before the actual PM? Now I read it naively, and will be punished for... (wait, what's the highest crime in Germany...) ...



  • @derula said:

    Damn! Couldn't you have said that before the actual PM? Now I read it naively, and will be punished for... (wait, what's the highest crime in Germany...) ...

    It's a four-way tie between:

    1) Laughing, smiling or showing joy of any kind.

    2) Drinking good beer.

    3) Not having an advanced degree in Physics or Mathematics.

    4) Being heterosexual. 



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    2) Drinking good beer.
    Germans make some of the best beer in the world.  I direct you to Paulaner Salvatore, Dinkel Acker Dunkel, Warsteiner Dunkel, etc.

    Whether they drink the beer they make is another story.  

    On average, it's no better or worse than the average beer made in any other country.

    Shit, I bit on some flamebait, now my mouth is burnt. 



  • @belgariontheking said:

    Shit, I bit on some flamebait, now my mouth is burnt. 

    Isn't flamebait what you use to catch flames? I mean, if you eat maggots and worms, it doesn't taste of trout*.

     

    *they actually taste of chicken



  • @belgariontheking said:

    Germans make some of the best beer in the world.  I direct you to Paulaner Salvatore, Dinkel Acker Dunkel, Warsteiner Dunkel, etc.

     

    I guess if you like watered-down swill made from the tears of murdered Jews. 



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    I guess if you like watered-down swill made from the tears of murdered Jews. 

     

    The Reinheitsgebot (purity law) allows only water, barley and hops.

    BTW: American beer is like having sex in a canoe.



  • @ammoQ said:

    @morbiuswilters said:

    I guess if you like watered-down swill made from the tears of murdered Jews. 

     

    The Reinheitsgebot (purity law) allows only water, barley and hops.

    BTW: American beer is like having sex in a canoe.

     

    And Canadian beer isn't much less crap^H^H^H^Hpissy either.

    I vote Belgian beer the best. All 54,321 varieties of it!

     



  • @ammoQ said:

    @morbiuswilters said:

    I guess if you like watered-down swill made from the tears of murdered Jews. 

     

    The Reinheitsgebot (purity law) allows only water, barley and hops.

    BTW: American beer is like having sex in a canoe.

    I didn't actually think that German beer was made from the tears of murdered Jews -- that was a joke.  However your calm, matter-of-fact response has unnerved me a bit.

     

    "No, no tears of Jew!  Would be against purity laws!"

     

    The only beer of value from Euroland is Belgian. 



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    I didn't actually think that German beer was made from the tears of murdered Jews -- that was a joke. 

    An extremely offensive joke, I might add. 

     

    However your calm, matter-of-fact response has unnerved me a bit.

    That's the point.


    The only beer of value from Euroland is Belgian. 

    IMO Czech beer is better.



  • @ammoQ said:

    IMO Czech beer is better.

     

    I could agree with you for pilsener types of beer, but for abbey beers and some stronger and traditional beers I still prefer Belgian.

    Maybe It's because i'm belgian myself, and have grown used to them, but a good old Westmalle Tripel or Kwak or, if you can get your hands on some, Westvleteren is just fantastic. 



  • Hear hear. 

    And of course the Dutch 'beer' Heineken, quantity-wise. It tastes like canal water, though.

    Also, death to all those who put lemon in their Wieckse Witte.

     

     



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @derula said:

    ... (wait, what's the highest crime in Germany...) ...

    It's a four-way tie between:

    1) Laughing, smiling or showing joy of any kind.

    2) Drinking good beer.

    3) Not having an advanced degree in Physics or Mathematics.

    4) Being heterosexual. 

     

    Thank you for humorifying this Monday morning... And for the nasal coffee spray onto my keyboard...



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    It's a four-way tie between:

    1) Laughing, smiling or showing joy of any kind.

    2) Drinking good beer.

    3) Not having an advanced degree in Physics or Mathematics.

    4) Being heterosexual. 

    1. Okay, that happpens sometimes, though seldom.
    2. I've nothing to fear.
    3. Nah... in a few years I'll be on the legal side here.
    4. Damn.


      Okay one and two half of those capital crimes... I'll have to keep control over myself better dangsheadagainsttable stop dang laughing dang or dang smiling dang stupid dang hetero dang


  • @PeriSoft said:

    For those of you who lost track, that's eleven reference numbers.

    That's ridiculous. It's not even funny.



  • I am not sure if its actually a crime to send spam or phishing, but I am pretty sure its a crime to impersonate the government.

    Also: Who in their right mind would think that the White House, and the UN offer prizes. Just curious.



  • @dlikhten said:

    Also: Who in their right mind would think that the White House, and the UN offer prizes. Just curious.

     

    Well, last week there was a story in the news about a 40-something old woman in Austria's provice Carinthia, who lost 8000€ in a lottery fraud case. 



  • @ammoQ said:

    @dlikhten said:

    Also: Who in their right mind would think that the White House, and the UN offer prizes. Just curious.

     

    Well, last week there was a story in the news about a 40-something old woman in Austria's provice Carinthia, who lost 8000€ in a lottery fraud case. 

     

    If I had 8000€, I'd feel like I'd already won the lottery...




  • @dlikhten said:

    Who in their right mind would think that the White House, and the UN offer prizes. Just curious.
     

    Not sure about that, but my mother called me laughing this weekend. It seems my youngest sister (in her early 40s now) called looking to borrow some money. My mother asked her what for, and my sister explained that she'd gotten an email about an opportunity to get paid for shopping. Big money, too! The company sent her a check for $4000, and to prove her good faith she did just what they asked by depositing it and sending half back to them. She then excitedly went and spent her $2K windfall.

    Of course, when the check she'd deposited bounced, she didn't have the $4K + fees. Could my mom find a way to help out?  (Of course, my mom's in her 70s now, and on a fixed income.)

    My sister knows better than to call me for help with this. <g> 



  • @dlikhten said:

    Who in their right mind would think that the White House, and the UN offer prizes. Just curious.
     

    I'm sure you've been on this site long enough to know that there are no limits to human stupidity, particularly on the internet.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    It's a four-way tie between:

    1) Laughing, smiling or showing joy of any kind.

    2) Drinking good beer.

    3) Not having an advanced degree in Physics or Mathematics.

    4) Being heterosexual. 

    I'm sorry, but that's just not correct.

    1) applies only when in the presence of foreigners.

    2) applies only to foreigners. 

    3) is imprecise because you can substitute an advanced degree on History Of The Third Reich And Why We Still Feel Bad For It.

    4) can be excused if you get a special certificate that shows you're into BDSM. Dealing with a job agency or watching TV between 13:00 and 18:00 is usually enough to prove you're thoroughly masochistic.

    Of course the most harshly punished crime in Germany is opposing the BILD (Europe's biggest tabloid and about as powerful in Germany as George Bush is in the USA).



  • @Joe Luser said:

    And Canadian beer isn't much less crap^H^H^H^Hpissy either.

    I vote Belgian beer the best. All 54,321 varieties of it!

     

     

    Nothing beats a good Belgian witbier!



  • I had one which goes as follows

     



    Good Day.
    I am Hon. Barr. Okon Kofi an Attorney at law by profession; I was born on 26th June 1963 in Mpumalanga in Western Province of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Happily married with three children.
    I represent a highly placed public officer here in Africa who urgently desires to make discretionary placement of a tidy Thirty-figure sum in viable business venture. This is borne out of the fact that civil service code of conduct does not permit my client ownership of business nor to operate foreign account. Your role will therefore be that of a wealth manager or wealth custodian. Please note that your role will be generously rewarded. If you are willing to handle this portfolio please indicate promptly to enable me advice more details. Discretion is of uttermost importance in this ventures; hope you'll remember that.
    Kindly contact me for more details.

    Best regards,
    Hon. Barr. Okon Kofi (Esq.)
    Email: <name and link removed at UA>@yahoo.com

     The WTF in there is that he promises a thirty-figure sum as your reward. It doesnt matter the currancy that is, its still more money than most countries make. In fact, if it were in USD, <font class="post">it would be about 2.08 * 10^15 times the GNP of the entire planet.</font>

     



  • Just some fun facts about currencies (mainly to further prove the point): 

    The Zimbabwe dollar is currently the least valued currency (due to hyperinflation). 100 million Zimbabwe dollar (10^8) is (in practice, at least - officially, the exchange rate is merely 30,000 ZWD per USD) worth approximately 1 USD, thus, if the 30-digit figure was in this currency, the minimum would be 10^22 USD. By comparison, the richest person in the world is worth about 60 billion (6*10^10) USD.

    Historically, the worst case of hyperinflation seen in modern times was in Hungary with the pengő. This was eventually replaced by the forint at a rate of a whopping 4*10^29 pengő per forint - so a 30-digit amount in pengő would end up at a maximum of 25 forint (this was worth about 2 USD at the time, and is only about 15 cents now).


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