[OT] What Wierdness is in *your* inbox?

[Aitch Eye]

I think it's the standard, humdrum, everyday spam that's the most bizarre. When I see subject line after subject line filled with spelling and grammatical errors and coming from a random collection of letters at Hotmail, offering life insurance and pharmaceuticals ("Feel Better With Super Humone Growth Hormone!"), I have to wonder why they think there's a point to it. Then I worry that I'm in the wrong consensual reality and it actually is a valid and proven strategy. Perhaps it's coming from foreign countries, but I'm not sure I can count on that.

(Come to think of it, the other day I saw a hand lettered sign tacked to a telephone pole offering "cheap" insurance.)

 

[Zappo]

Yeah, I had to make a filter to delete anything that has "human growth hormone" in either body or subject. My biggest problem now is "Delivery Status Notifications" - someone who's got my address in his mailing list must have got either Klez or some other cursed virus that spoofs the reply-to, and as a result I'm getting TONS of "Delivery Status Notification" emails. What's worse, I can't even filter them 'cause if I do so, I won't ever be sure that my regular emails are delivered.

 

[SemperJase]

I recently set up an account with a new ISP. I have never used the email address. Two months later I look in the inbox and see 11 messages for porno sites which I never visit. So how does that happen?

 

[Florin]

Just came in!

BIBLE VERSES & TRIVIA - Tuesday, September 24, 2002
"Positive, Encouraging & Inspirational Messages"

That's right, I must be so naughty GOD is spamming me!

And then there is the always disturbing:

"Greetings Bible Enthusiasts!

Let's talk today about goats!"

 

[Skarp Hedin]

I recently set up an account with a new ISP. I have never used the email address. Two months later I look in the inbox and see 11 messages for porno sites which I never visit. So how does that happen?

Ahh, this one's cute. Many spammers email randomly. They pick common names, combinations, etc (I imagine some software does it, really), and combines them with domain names. Sure, they probably get a thousand bounces for every real email address they hit, but since most of them are slithering around open-relay servers, what do they care? So basically, if your name was something like jsmith or something, they'll just get you because it's easy. If the address is njhmv, they'll get you because they're trying all manner of number and letter combinations.

subject line after subject line filled with spelling and grammatical errors

I am willing to bet that these errors, at least the spelling ones, are intentional, so as to dodge filters.


As for the topic: the most interesting spam I've ever got is the lame old Nigerian offshore account one. Most of mine's the same-old, same-old.

 

[Clear Dragon]

I get occaisonal spam email that is in portugese. I think it is portugese anyways, many are for industrial plumbing supplies (some have had pictures of valves and fittings).

 

[trimeulose]

I recieved a threat form someone because they mispelled the name wrong. It went something like:

hey mother f---er, yur a pussy and everyone at school knows it. if you want to settle this like men meet me out neer "the docks". othrewise I'll torment yoor ass until the end of time. your better come.

So anyway I look up the guys email, and its somewhere in michigan. I write him back and ask him if he really thinks he could take me. I also tell him I am more than willing to drive up there and beat his @$$. It resolved quickly.

 

[Frostmarrow]

I got a mail from a friend that had wandered over the globe all the way from NY. The chain of e-mails started with a guy who was new at this company. He wrote to a female employee at the same comapany asking for a date. I think he offered to take her to Bon Jovi or something.

The girl then forwarded his message to a friend with some extra text attached. She told her friend that the new guy would probably pay for everything and do anything she asked since she hadn't slept with him yet. She also confessed that her boyfriend had fallen a sleep during sex the night before and that he woke up during the act and asked "What'd I miss?". The problem was that she had, by mistake hit the reply button instead of forward!

The chain of mails reached thousands of people and all the addresses were preserved in the mail. A German guy even added the missfortunate girl's address to the list when it got to Germany.

(Oh, and I get a couple of Nigeria-mail each month to my job-address.)

 

[Khan the Warlord]

I have quite a few "strange" emails in my inbox, but here is a stupid one:

gamerz-complete | csc gold | 1000+ hits per day | 80 + posts per day |
4500 posts | 40000 hits | 700 members and growen

We need an admin and lots of mods you are guarnted a mod spot and if
you impress an admin

First off, I have no idea who this was from, I've never been to their forums, there wasn't even a link to their boards, the spelling was awful, and who in the world spams strangers for mod/admin positions?



[EDIT: I get at least one of these emails every day, and since the sender is a "no reply" type of Ez Board, I have no way for them to stop]

 

[Henry]

All I know is that someone named Cindy wants me to look at her hot bod, and thoughtfully provided a link to do so.

The most odd thing I got ever was not through the mail - it was on my phone bill. I received a note that I had placed a long-distance call for approximate $150.00 US dollars to Sao Tome (wherever the heck that is). After conversing with the phone company, I learned that it was a dial-up for a porn site. They asked me if I was SURE I didn't place that call, or an automated dialer didn't redirect my call.

You know how I was sure?

I had switched to Cable Broadband about 4 months before. MY MODEM HADN'T BEEN HOOKED UP FOR THE WHOLE TIME.

I argued with 'em to take the call off, and I also had International calls blocked from my home. Now, if a stupid charge like that ever shows up again, I can laugh and tell the phone company to double check THEIR records.