Strange Email

Squall

Got this email today, seems pretty legitimate, dont see what harm sending them would be. Anyone else get anything similar?

Jane Rowlings

Reference No - (V6H22HZGRYD)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry to bother you but I am hoping that you might be able to help me. I found your e-mail address on a chain letter that was sent to me and thought that as your name was on a chain letter you may have other chain e-mail letters (forwards) that you could send to me?

I am doing a project at university regarding the different subjects that go around the Internet on chain e-mail letters and how many people they actually reach. I would be very grateful if you could send me any that you have, absolutely anything and everything (even the rude ones).

We are trying to ascertain trends and patterns, also we know that around 85% of all e-mails are Spam but what we don't know is what percentage of that accounts for chain mail (forwards). I would also be very grateful if you would be kind enough to forward this e-mail to all your friends as I need as many as I can get my hands on for the project to be a success.

This project is based over a year so please keep them coming. I will let you know the results of my project and when to stop sending.

Please send all forwards to the following e-mail address - jrbwrm20@yahoo.co.uk

Your help would very much be appreciated.

Thanks

Jane Rowlings

Jane Rowlings
P O Box 50718
London
England
NW6 2PT

tba

yeah i suppose it sounds alright, they already have your email address.

EKRIUQ

Never heard of that one before, seems strange that theres not the son of a repressed dictator that wants to lodge $20,000,000,. into my bak account.
Sounds legit but this is the internet

In_Diana_Jones

Squall wrote:

Got this email today, seems pretty legitimate, dont see what harm sending them would be. Anyone else get anything similar?

Sounds like a lazy spammer trying to collect adresses.

Lenny

Yea looks like spam by the way he wants the forwards
don't help him with his research, let him have a hard time researching it, these nothing fun about resaerching.

Plastic Scouser

Seems a bit dodgy to me! Don't think they named the uni did they?! Plus, they've got a PO Box number instead of a real address! I wouldn't reply if it was me!

Naos

In my opinion i wouldnt.

It could be a nice little spam plot.
You reply to the mail address, they see your an active account and they send you more. Every chain letter you send, they will see the other peeps emails on it, send them the exact same letter you got and so on and so on.
Its a chain letter itself, ignore and delete it..

Squall

Lenny wrote:

Yea looks like spam by the way he wants the forwards
don't help him with his research, let him have a hard time researching it, these nothing fun about resaerching.

Was thinking the same. Dont have any chain letters to send anyhow. They get deleted straight away. Strange thing is it went to an address I only use for business type stuff (that sounds so dodgy ). Dont know where they could have got it from.

talking_walnut

Plus, they've got a PO Box number instead of a real address!

In fairness would you give out your real address to some random person on the internet?:) It seems like very elaborate lengths to go to just to get some email addresses for spamming. At the same time though, I wouldn't bother if I were you. I'm sure they're research will struggle on without your help

chump

Why is he using his yahoo mail account... if it was a college address I might give it some thought... but that sounds to me like complete rubbish...

Most people I know in colleges use their college email addresses, particularly if sending mails to lecturers, professors, mentors etc etc and would surely use their college address if they were trying to convince someone that they were in college...

and he didn't even mention which college

Maximilian

I'd give your your credit card details, just in case. She might be a friend of the Nigerian Foreign Minister.

Gordon

Google gives:
http://noemata.net/wreathus/w72.txt
http://www.dittner.nl/pivot/entry.php?id=1663

Note the different address and email address.

It may originally have been a real deal but the fact that the address has been changed gives it less credence.

Anything can give you spam these days, sure even sitting on a toilet seat can do it.

Orion

Squall wrote:

Got this email today, seems pretty legitimate, dont see what harm sending them would be. Anyone else get anything similar?

Personally I'd delete it. Regardless of whether its true or not spamming people to collect information about spam is not good. It belongs in the Junk folder along with all the rest. If she'd given her real address it might even ring true but she's using a yahoo account and a po box. Not trustworthy.

She could have used a better fake name though - Jane Rowling? Harry Potter author?

talking_walnut

I'd give your your credit card details, just in case. She might be a friend of the Nigerian Foreign Minister.

Agreed.
And bank account details. She might need somewhere to transfer the money she's been given for this research while she is fleeing the country into exile. Do it man! It's the only thing that makes sense in this crazy world!!!!! :eek:

sceptre

Macros42 wrote:

She could have used a better fake name though - Jane Rowling? Harry Potter author?

That'd be Joanne.

tba

Gordon wrote:

Anything can give you spam these days, sure even sitting on a toilet seat can do it.

You make Spam sound like an STI

Maximilian

That sounds even worse than a STD

Saruman

If you respond all you do is confirm your address is real and you open yourself to spam.. dont do it.

Kêrmêttê

I got that email 2 days ago. I normally just delete emails from people that I don't recognise... but this one got the better of my curiosity.
As soon as I opened it I deleted it.
I HATE CHAIN MAILS WITH A PASSION!!!!! :mad:
Note to anyone who sends me a chain mail: May you burn in hell for all eternity!

MicraBoy

This is just a chain mail.

BaZmO*

Gordon wrote:

Anything can give you spam these days, sure even sitting on a toilet seat can do it.

You can even get it in tins now!!!