[OT] What Wierdness is in *your* inbox?
- Thread starter I'm A Banana
- Start date
Sammael99
First Post
One of the weirdest things I got was when I had just left Britain. it wasn't in my e-mail box. It wasn't in my snail mail box. It was in my in-tray at work.
One morning, I sift through the new stuff and there's an internal memo envelope, you know the type of brown envelope that has lots of boxes and when you send them you type in the name of the guy you want them sent to and you strike out your own name.
That one had my name clearly handwritten in the last box. I open up and there's an ad for some seminar in London. Attached is a post it saying "I thought this might interest you !" followed by an illegible signature. I check the envelope to see who this comes from and the name struck is illegible and so are all the other names.
Then I figured it out. Just a few weeks before, when I was still in Bitain, I'd read about a new mailing technique where they sent fake ripped out magazine articles about diet programs with a post it saying "I thought this might interest you !" with an illegible name. The endorsement, even if you couldn't figure out who it was from, was likely to get you to read the article, which was in fact an advert, and hence to get you to buy the product.
I had just come accross the BtoB version of that...
One morning, I sift through the new stuff and there's an internal memo envelope, you know the type of brown envelope that has lots of boxes and when you send them you type in the name of the guy you want them sent to and you strike out your own name.
That one had my name clearly handwritten in the last box. I open up and there's an ad for some seminar in London. Attached is a post it saying "I thought this might interest you !" followed by an illegible signature. I check the envelope to see who this comes from and the name struck is illegible and so are all the other names.
Then I figured it out. Just a few weeks before, when I was still in Bitain, I'd read about a new mailing technique where they sent fake ripped out magazine articles about diet programs with a post it saying "I thought this might interest you !" with an illegible name. The endorsement, even if you couldn't figure out who it was from, was likely to get you to read the article, which was in fact an advert, and hence to get you to buy the product.
I had just come accross the BtoB version of that...
Simplicity
Explorer
Oh, I've gotten all sorts of things in my mail.
I once got the offer letter for my company's CEO. That was neat. Of course someone eventually realized their mistake and asked "to watch me delete the email". Ooookay. I click on the email, delete the email, and he goes away.... Which is nice because it lets me go into my Deleted folder and finish reading...
I once got a letter asking me to chair a cryptography conference in Italy... at the time, I was a Masters *student* in crypto in the US. I figured these guys were pretty much on crack. I might have considered it anyways though if they had been willing to pay airfare...
I once got the offer letter for my company's CEO. That was neat. Of course someone eventually realized their mistake and asked "to watch me delete the email". Ooookay. I click on the email, delete the email, and he goes away.... Which is nice because it lets me go into my Deleted folder and finish reading...
I once got a letter asking me to chair a cryptography conference in Italy... at the time, I was a Masters *student* in crypto in the US. I figured these guys were pretty much on crack. I might have considered it anyways though if they had been willing to pay airfare...
Barendd Nobeard
Explorer
Same here. Starting getting them all the time, even at my work email. Ick.SemperJase said:
My worst one is not weird, it's just sick.
My worst one is the "UPDATED! RAPE ARCHIVES!" Not what I want in my in-box. The first time I got it, it was from a hotmail user (at least according to the actual headers). I send a copy to abuse@hotmail.com. I get another one a month later. Also from a hotmail user. I forward to the abuse address--and it bounces back with "no such user" for abuse@hotmail.com. Nice job, hotmail!
I'm thinking of junking my accounts and starting over, just to get rid of the spam. I'm up to about 30 messages a day at home, and 4-5 a day at work. But of course I have my own domain, so if I delete my account and create a different one, I just get a copy of all the bounces at my admin account.
I really need to start checking into stopping SPAM, but I'm too busy on the EN boards to spend time doing useful stuff like that!
[edit - fix formatting tags]
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(EDIT: Yeah, hmm .. maybe I should read the entire thread before posting)
This is a variation of the so called Nigeria fraud; at least that's what it got named in Denmark, where I lived in the time of this fraud's heyday. Several small-scale companies in Denmark fell for it and that's why local police issued a warning to disregard emails like.
The way it works is that you agree to hold some money / or whatever benefit the email promises you. They reply back to you, all very business like, that you should meet up. You go to ... ta da ... Nigeria (hence the name in Denmark) and meet up with the people, who just need "a small sum" to set up the transfer and "grease" the chain in a country "that you can surely understand needs greasing".
You pay this sum, which - he he - summed up turns out to be quite a large bit of money. Then you never hear from these people again.
A Danish business man going down there was actually kidnapped by the people behind the scam and his familie, having been contacted for ransom, contacted the Danish police. How the whole thing ended, I do not know ... I moved out of the country before the thing settled.
Regards
Bjorn Toft Madsen
Kamikaze Midget said:For your viewing pleasure, I present an e-mail with lots of leagalspeak and it seems to be offering me money to hold some money of theirs in my bank account. Tcha.
So...I give up...what's going on here?
Whaddaya think? Make sense to anyone else? And maybe you guys can beat this for hubris/quirkiness.
This is a variation of the so called Nigeria fraud; at least that's what it got named in Denmark, where I lived in the time of this fraud's heyday. Several small-scale companies in Denmark fell for it and that's why local police issued a warning to disregard emails like.
The way it works is that you agree to hold some money / or whatever benefit the email promises you. They reply back to you, all very business like, that you should meet up. You go to ... ta da ... Nigeria (hence the name in Denmark) and meet up with the people, who just need "a small sum" to set up the transfer and "grease" the chain in a country "that you can surely understand needs greasing".
You pay this sum, which - he he - summed up turns out to be quite a large bit of money. Then you never hear from these people again.
A Danish business man going down there was actually kidnapped by the people behind the scam and his familie, having been contacted for ransom, contacted the Danish police. How the whole thing ended, I do not know ... I moved out of the country before the thing settled.
Regards
Bjorn Toft Madsen
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This is a long post, sorry. Ignore at will.
Hmmm, don't know if this belongs to the category, but it sure is interesting and I though you guys might like to hear a weird one.
This is actually still in progress and very much concerns something showing up where you don't want it.
5 days ago ... wait, you guys so aren't going to believe me, but it is actually true ... anyways: 5 days ago my mobile rings and I dutifully pick it up. This is the extent of the conversation (I am BTM, the other guy is ?)
BTM: Hallo
?: Hey, man, it's Derek!
BTM: ... [pause] ... Hallo?
?: Hey, it's *Derek*. How's it going?
BTM: ... Are you sure you got the right number?
?: Yeah, man ... this is Bjorn, right?
[which it indeed was]
BTM: Yeah, who's this?
?: It's Derek, man! I haven't heard from you in ages?
BTM: Right, are you absolutely positive you have got the right number?
?: ... You're Bjorn, right? Just been to Canada and then Denmark.
[ok, this guy is looking for me, this could not be a coincidence. I had just been those two places. I am so confused, I lack words]
BTM: Right, this is me. Who's this?
?: It's Derek!
BTM: And I should know who you are?
?: Yeah, I should bloody well hope so? How are you?
BTM: Hmmm ... listen, I don't know who you are. Have I met you?
?: Yeah, we met before the summer? I haven't heard from you in ages.
BTM: Ok ... and where did we meet each other?
?: At ... ahhh ... what was it called ... ahhrr ... that bar in Dundee.
[I am in Dundee, Scotland]
BTM: And when was this?
?: .... you don't remember me?
BTM: Dude, I have no f******* idea what so ever.
?: You were with these two girls, your girlfriend and the other, black haired one.
BTM: Yeah, that sounds right. You don't remember the bar name?
?: Ahhrr ... it was .... No, I can't remember.
[pause]
BTM: Ok, tell me, how did we meet, man ... 'cause I don't remember you at all.
?: You were standing at the bar, talking with ... what's his name ... Pete? ... and I thought you were talking to me, so I turned around and we started talking and you gave me your phonenumber.
BTM: And was I really drunk?
?: No ... not really ... well, I was a bit drunk, so I couldn't really tell, but you didn't seem overly drunk to me.
BTM: And I gave you my phonenumber?
[now, this is super strange. I have never, ever given my phonenumber to anyone, not even girls. Never.]
?: Yeah, man!
BTM: OK, OK. And you are calling me... why?
?: Well, I just wanted to hear how things were going, you know? Are you still together with your girlfriend.
BTM: No, actually we broke up. I am with a girl from Canada now.
?: Reeeaally? And is she better?
[WTF kind of question is that? At this point I am positive this is someone calling for my ex-girlfriend, but I mean, come on! I am bloody 25 years old, not in kindergarten, so this just seems unreal. I engage my diplomatic nerve]
BTM: Well, you know, all relationships are different, I don't want to rate them against each other.
?: Right. So we should meet up.
BTM: Yeah, for sure. Listen, for some reason your number didn't show up on my mobile ...
[which is super strange, kind of adding to my suspicion]
... so text me your number and I'll give you a shout when we go out next weekend.
[this weekend].
?: Yeah, I will do.
[insert long winded goodbye here]
Now, I never, ever, ever drink myself into oblivion. Have never had a night where I couldn't remember what I was doing. Have asked Pete (the guy that Derek claimed I was with) about this, and he can't remember anything about this either.
He still hasn't sent his phonenumber to my mobile yet, so I am kind of left in dark.
If that isn't straight out of Seinfeld I don't know what is. I can just imagine George organizing a stakeout.
What gives?
Regards
Bjorn
Hmmm, don't know if this belongs to the category, but it sure is interesting and I though you guys might like to hear a weird one.
This is actually still in progress and very much concerns something showing up where you don't want it.
5 days ago ... wait, you guys so aren't going to believe me, but it is actually true ... anyways: 5 days ago my mobile rings and I dutifully pick it up. This is the extent of the conversation (I am BTM, the other guy is ?)
BTM: Hallo
?: Hey, man, it's Derek!
BTM: ... [pause] ... Hallo?
?: Hey, it's *Derek*. How's it going?
BTM: ... Are you sure you got the right number?
?: Yeah, man ... this is Bjorn, right?
[which it indeed was]
BTM: Yeah, who's this?
?: It's Derek, man! I haven't heard from you in ages?
BTM: Right, are you absolutely positive you have got the right number?
?: ... You're Bjorn, right? Just been to Canada and then Denmark.
[ok, this guy is looking for me, this could not be a coincidence. I had just been those two places. I am so confused, I lack words]
BTM: Right, this is me. Who's this?
?: It's Derek!
BTM: And I should know who you are?
?: Yeah, I should bloody well hope so? How are you?
BTM: Hmmm ... listen, I don't know who you are. Have I met you?
?: Yeah, we met before the summer? I haven't heard from you in ages.
BTM: Ok ... and where did we meet each other?
?: At ... ahhh ... what was it called ... ahhrr ... that bar in Dundee.
[I am in Dundee, Scotland]
BTM: And when was this?
?: .... you don't remember me?
BTM: Dude, I have no f******* idea what so ever.
?: You were with these two girls, your girlfriend and the other, black haired one.
BTM: Yeah, that sounds right. You don't remember the bar name?
?: Ahhrr ... it was .... No, I can't remember.
[pause]
BTM: Ok, tell me, how did we meet, man ... 'cause I don't remember you at all.
?: You were standing at the bar, talking with ... what's his name ... Pete? ... and I thought you were talking to me, so I turned around and we started talking and you gave me your phonenumber.
BTM: And was I really drunk?
?: No ... not really ... well, I was a bit drunk, so I couldn't really tell, but you didn't seem overly drunk to me.
BTM: And I gave you my phonenumber?
[now, this is super strange. I have never, ever given my phonenumber to anyone, not even girls. Never.]
?: Yeah, man!
BTM: OK, OK. And you are calling me... why?
?: Well, I just wanted to hear how things were going, you know? Are you still together with your girlfriend.
BTM: No, actually we broke up. I am with a girl from Canada now.
?: Reeeaally? And is she better?
[WTF kind of question is that? At this point I am positive this is someone calling for my ex-girlfriend, but I mean, come on! I am bloody 25 years old, not in kindergarten, so this just seems unreal. I engage my diplomatic nerve]
BTM: Well, you know, all relationships are different, I don't want to rate them against each other.
?: Right. So we should meet up.
BTM: Yeah, for sure. Listen, for some reason your number didn't show up on my mobile ...
[which is super strange, kind of adding to my suspicion]
... so text me your number and I'll give you a shout when we go out next weekend.
[this weekend].
?: Yeah, I will do.
[insert long winded goodbye here]
Now, I never, ever, ever drink myself into oblivion. Have never had a night where I couldn't remember what I was doing. Have asked Pete (the guy that Derek claimed I was with) about this, and he can't remember anything about this either.
He still hasn't sent his phonenumber to my mobile yet, so I am kind of left in dark.
If that isn't straight out of Seinfeld I don't know what is. I can just imagine George organizing a stakeout.
What gives?
Regards
Bjorn
barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
I keep getting nude photos of hong.
Quit sending me these photos, hong! I'm a married man, for crying out loud! It's just not right!
Quit sending me these photos, hong! I'm a married man, for crying out loud! It's just not right!
MaxKaladin
First Post
One of the wierdest things I ever got was a letter welcoming me to the Muslim long distance telephone program with AT&T and telling me my benefiting organization was the "Benevolence International Foundation". The problem is that I never signed up for it. In fact, I am not a Muslim. I was baptised Catholic and an currently non-practicing. My first name is Jewish in origin and my last name is German in origin.
Anyway, the letter went on to explain how they were going to use the collective purchasing power of Muslims as demonstrated by this program to get muslims all sorts of special benefits everywhere. The usual sort of stuff you expect to get offered as a member of some special program. Car rental deals, low/no interest credit cards and that sort of thing.
It was just really wierd since I have no idea how I got on their list. The only thing I can think of is that I broke their computer system. This was back when the phone companies were paying people to switch long distance carriers. Being a poor college student, I switched about once every month or two to get another check for switching. I suppose this could have been some wierd glitch for switching so much or perhaps petty revenge from some clerk who had seen my name go through his station once too often.
Anyway, the letter went on to explain how they were going to use the collective purchasing power of Muslims as demonstrated by this program to get muslims all sorts of special benefits everywhere. The usual sort of stuff you expect to get offered as a member of some special program. Car rental deals, low/no interest credit cards and that sort of thing.
It was just really wierd since I have no idea how I got on their list. The only thing I can think of is that I broke their computer system. This was back when the phone companies were paying people to switch long distance carriers. Being a poor college student, I switched about once every month or two to get another check for switching. I suppose this could have been some wierd glitch for switching so much or perhaps petty revenge from some clerk who had seen my name go through his station once too often.
MeepoTheMighty
First Post
Re: This is a long post, sorry. Ignore at will.
It sounds like you've been skip traced. Basically, someone (a bank that you have a loan with, probably) lost track of you. Either you moved, or they have a wrong number for you, or something. Essentially, they hire people to try to find a way to contact you.
Normally, they'd just hang up as soon as you verified that you were Bjorn. However, they might have decided to have a little fun with you because frankly, looking up phone numbers on the internet is a boring job.
Then again, it could have just been a prank call from an ex.
sunbeam60 said:
It sounds like you've been skip traced. Basically, someone (a bank that you have a loan with, probably) lost track of you. Either you moved, or they have a wrong number for you, or something. Essentially, they hire people to try to find a way to contact you.
Normally, they'd just hang up as soon as you verified that you were Bjorn. However, they might have decided to have a little fun with you because frankly, looking up phone numbers on the internet is a boring job.
Then again, it could have just been a prank call from an ex.
