Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Duh!

Is it just me?

I have a friend--a college educated young woman who has been out of work for a while, and can't find anything but temp work. It's hard times out there. I know. Several days ago she called me. She was pretty excited. "E, I think my troubles may be over."

She proceeded to tell me that she had gotten an email from a Nigerian ambassador who needed help getting money out of his country... You know the rest.

Following is a transcript of our conversation as best I can remember it
:

E: (after a long pause) You're kidding me, right?
Friend: No! I just got the email this morning. What do you think?
E: (another long pause as I try to decide if I'm having an outer body experience, or am the victim of a phone prank) Betty, it's a scam.
Friend: What do you mean?
E: You haven't gotten one of these emails before? Comedians joke about them, Dateline did a story on them. It's a long running scam. You've never heard of this?!
Friend: (clearly deflated) Oh. (then) But maybe this one is real.
E: Um. Sure. But I doubt it. Sorry.

Okay look, I know my friend is out of work and needs a job and money, but come on! Am I the only one who finds one of these emails in my spam folder like EVERY DAY! Talk to me people. I need to know it's not just me.

3 comments:

  1. A dead giveaway that it's a scam is all the misspelled words! I agree. These scams have been around for way too long but the sad part is that people still fall for it.

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  2. Heeeeeeey... Tell your friend that job's already taken. I'm so getting that job. Ooh did I also mention that I inherited anywhere from $100K to a million from an old, old aristocrat from a town I've never heard of? Apparently I'm his closest living relative. Not my parents, grandparents or uncles... just me :)

    Nope you're not alone. :)

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  3. wow, I didn't know that email still worked ;) I've received a couple in the past, but I am not inundated with them. That really is surprising that your friend has never heard of them. huh.

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