What actually happens if you reply to spam?

Fittle · 07-07-2010 10:51AM #1

You know the ones I'm talking about...(I got one thing morning) 'My husband just died and has 4.7million dollars in a bank account in the Ivory Coast. Please reply and help me take some of it out of the bank, and I will give you 20% of the total'.

The latest ones I got don't ask for bank details/name/address etc.

What would happen if I wrote back...would my laptop blow up

Anyone ever replied?

chin_grin · 07-07-2010 10:53AM

You would lose the internet. And any machine that you try to use to would just read "FAIL". I've heard.

KTRIC · 07-07-2010 10:53AM

As far as I know if you reply then God kills a kitten.

Possibly

chillywilly · 07-07-2010 10:54AM

Fittle wrote: »

You know the ones I'm talking about...(I got one thing morning) 'My husband just died and has 4.7million dollars in a bank account in the Ivory Coast. Please reply and help me take some of it out of the bank, and I will give you 20% of the total'.

The latest ones I got don't ask for bank details/name/address etc.

What would happen if I wrote back...would my laptop blow up
Anyone ever replied?

yes, yes it would

orourkeda · 07-07-2010 10:54AM

You'll be spammed in the sphinc

Wazdakka · 07-07-2010 10:55AM

A Kind Nigerian fellow gives you the $500,000,000 inheritance from that rich African overlord uncle that you didn't know you had.

In before 419eater.com

My name is URL · 07-07-2010 10:55AM

You'll be placed on a permanent mailing list and added to those new spam networks

easyeason3 · 07-07-2010 10:55AM

You get closer to that moolah.

Give her your bank account number & your 20% is in the bag.

Anthony Walsh · 07-07-2010 10:56AM

I hear the Crab People come into your room at night and take you to there lair and make you one of them, then you spend all your time sending spam mail.

At least you can pretend to be Prince of Nigeria

Hasmunch · 07-07-2010 10:56AM

I doubt you would get much of a reaction from it

orourkeda · 07-07-2010 10:57AM

wham spam thank you mam

ullickmagee · 07-07-2010 11:02AM

Feel free to reply and indulge yourself in the gentle art of Scambaiting...

Warning:This site is so addictive you may not get any work done for the rest of this Month:

http://www.419eater.com/index.php

QuiteInterestin · 07-07-2010 11:02AM

By replying it confirms that your email address is active and so you be put on a permanent mailing list for further spam. Your email address can also be sold on to further companies who send spam mail as it is more valuable since by replying you have confirmed it is an active account compared to all the other random accounts spam is sent to which either don't exist or are unconfirmed as being active or not.

CreepingDeath · 07-07-2010 11:04AM

Fittle wrote: »

What would happen if I wrote back...would my laptop blow up
Anyone ever replied?

Spammers buy and sell huge lists of e-mail addresses.
If you reply back to them, you have just confirmed that your e-mail address is valid, current and someone reads it.

You want to ignore all spam, just don't reply back.

Jakob · 07-07-2010 11:05AM

Crab people, crab people

Sea Sharp · 07-07-2010 11:05AM

Basically you'll get a load of emails about penis enlargement and viagra regardless of whether you're male or female.

humanji · 07-07-2010 11:06AM

If you reply, you can be asked for bank details.
If you're an idiot, you'll give them your bank details and they'll steal your money.
If you're a f*cking moron, you'll travel to Ghana to get your money back and be kidnapped by them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7073108.stm

So it's best just to not reply.

Brendog · 07-07-2010 11:08AM

you go blind

caseyann · 07-07-2010 11:15AM

This http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_246/12050642750lm1K6.jpg

Ofc only in a picture

AnonoBoy · 07-07-2010 11:16AM

Something wacky no doubt.

Do it and report back.

Ilyushin76 · 07-07-2010 11:19AM

Be careful when replying to these emails,some of them are scams.

Flojo · 07-07-2010 11:23AM

They send you on an all expenses paid holiday to Nigeria!

Sea Sharp · 07-07-2010 11:25AM

John85 wrote: »

Be careful when replying to these emails,some of them are scams.

Yea apparently there really are Nigerian princes looking to give money to random people they've never heard of.
Sometimes it's only a scam though.

judas1369 · 07-07-2010 11:25AM

A guy called Paul Berry set up a website and published a book about this very thing.
Known as 419s, this site publishes the interactions of people who answer spam messages. Check out the Letters Archive for examples of this.
http://www.419eater.com/index.php

Personally though, download a free spam filter and don't worry about it.
If you need a free filter ther are loads of them, this for example-
http://download.cnet.com/POPFile/3000-2382_4-10207750.html?tag=mncol

Anyway its more a PITA than a threat.
But do check out the 419 stuff above, some of it is hilarious!

mullingar · 07-07-2010 11:54AM

419eater is an excellent site.

Never pissed myself from laughing as much.

The best story of the "reverse scam" is getting the scammer to join the "The Church of The Red Breast"

http://www.419eater.com/html/joe_eboh.htm

Fittle · 07-07-2010 12:07PM

OP here.

I'm not ACTUALLY going to reply guys...

I was just trying to figure out (when they don't want my bank details), what use it would be to them, if I replied....
So those of you who explained about them selling my e-mail on, makes the most sense to me!

Just for pig-iron...this is the one I got today....:D

My name is Fiona Wagner; I work with the Total Quest Services, a consulting Firm in London, UK. We are conducting a standard process investigation involving a client who shares the same name with you and also thecircumstancessurrounding investments made by this client at HSBC Bank Plc.

The HSBC Private Banking client died intestate and nominated no next of kin to inherit the title over the investments made with HSBC Bank Plc.
The essence of this communication with you is to request that you provide us information on three issues:

1-Are you aware of any relative/relation having the same surname, whose last known contact address was Madrid, Spain?

2-Are you aware of any investment of considerable value made by such a person at the HSBC Bank Plc.?

3-Can you establish beyond reasonable doubt your eligibility to assume status of next of kin to the deceased?

It is pertinent that you inform us ASAP whether or not you are familiar with this personality that we may put an end to this communication with you and our inquiries surrounding this personality.

You must appreciate that we are constrained from providing you with more detailed information at this point. PLEASE RESPOND BACK TO MY PRIVATE AND DIRECT EMAIL ADDRESS,(mrs.fionawagnertqs@consultant.com) as soon as possible to afford us the opportunity to close this investigation.

Thank you for accommodating our enquiry.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs.Fiona Wagner
Total Quest Services
For: HSBC Private Clients.
This is a confidential message from Total Quest Services.

bog master · 07-07-2010 12:12PM

I responded to one, just for fun. I was advised I had won x amount of €, so e-mailed back, Great, tell me when I can collect the cheque!
Never heard another word from the mailer or nothing similiar arrived.

07-07-2010 12:13PM

Did it originate from @hsbc.com or something else trustworthy?
It's a good tactic to have it come from somewhere respectable which is easily faked nd then have a personal address in it.
I'm glad my mum can't use the internet or she'd get fleeced.

bog master · 07-07-2010 12:14PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Did it originate from @hsbc.com or something else trustworthy?
It's a good tactic to have it come from somewhere respectable which is easily faked nd then have a personal address in it.
I'm glad my mum can't use the internet or she'd get fleeced.

Have no idea, dont remember to be honest.

Fittle · 07-07-2010 12:19PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Did it originate from @hsbc.com or something else trustworthy?
It's a good tactic to have it come from somewhere respectable which is easily faked nd then have a personal address in it.
I'm glad my mum can't use the internet or she'd get fleeced.

Email is her name and her company name @gmail.com

bonerm · 07-07-2010 12:25PM

We still don't know. Nobody in the history of the internet has ever done so yet.

What actually happens if you reply to spam?

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