JaBbA's Hut

A new version of the 419 scam just came across my desk. Apparently, lung cancer now 'defiles' medical treatment. Amazing that these things continue, because people still respond to them.

Remember, if it's too good to be true, it is. Or isn't. Whichever.


<SCAM>

I intercepted a political screed coming into our email that has been making the rounds for years, in different forms. It is mostly false, but is passed on as truth. Interestingly, it is attributed to Paul Harvey. I even found someone who posted it to a webboard and said they "found it on Paul Harvey's Site". But I find no such column on Paul Harvey's site - I can't even find transcripts, only the ability to actually listen to the broadcasts. But it appeared years ago atributed to John McCaslin of The Washington Post, and Neal Boortz is also mentioned as the author.

I'ts titled "THIS WILL OPEN YOUR EYES. By Paul Harvey" and I've copied it in it's entirety in the extended entry. DO NOT pass it on - but tell people to follow This Link to find it.

This stuff is malicious, and when it is stated as truth, is damaging to the whole political process, not just the target.

For more information, see The Urban Legend Zeitgeist, Snopes, Trend Micro, and Arachnophiliac.

George Carlin has always been known as a very counterculture kind of guy. But I doubt he wants to see people acting like sheep.

In my role in coporate security, I see a lot of emails that get caught in the system. Every day, hundreds of emails come through that end with some variation of

send this to AT LEAST 8 people!

Sometimes they promise dire consequences, sometimes they say something good will happen, snd sometimes they just say that you should pass the good feelings on...

And people who would never consider actually passing on a physical chain letter hit that "Forward" button and start picking named out of their address books.

Today, it was a piece by George Carlin on aging - I wonder how he feels about having his writings above the words "send this to 8 people you know" ?.

Yes, another danger to you and your family that has been fixed by the Internet. This one is not only email - a search on "Beware of Aerosol cans" on google turns up a bunch of webpages, including Alcoa's Rockdale Op Safetygram and the Vaughan, Ontario Fire Department.

Although it is possible that an aerosol can could explode, the email flying around the Internet consists of a digitally mocked up photograph and 2 screenshots from Mythbusters talking about a completely DIFFERENT Urban Legend.

Needless to say, the email tells you to report it as often as possible. It's good to see people following orders so well!

Once Again: DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ ON THE INTERNET.

See the email below:

ANY email that asks to to forward it on is a HOAX..even if it is a warning about a VIRUS!!!! Everyoneseems to feel that it is better to send it on, not realizing that millions of other people are doingthe same thing!!!

REMEMBER, TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION, YOU DO *NOT*SEND THE EMAIL!!!!

For example, this one originally circulated in(can you guess..?) September, 2001, and just came across my deskAGAIN. There NEVER WAS A WTC Survivor Virus, but the hoax lives on!!! (Names have been changed to protect the gullible)

----

This may or may not be true, however, let us err on the side of caution.

Mr. Gullible

During the next several weeks be VERY cautious about opening orlaunching any e-mails that refer to the WorldTradeCenter or 9/11 inany way, regardless of who sent it. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL YOURFRIENDS AND FAMILY. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, "WTC" STANDS FOR THEWORLDTRADECENTER. REALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL OPEN ITRIGHT AWAY, THINKING ITS A STORY RELATING TO 9/11!BIGGGG TROUBLE !!!! DO NOT OPEN "WTC Survivor" It is a virus thatwill erase your whole "C" drive. It will come to you in the form ofan E-Mail from a familiar person. I repeat, a friend sent it to me,but called and warned me before I opened it. He was not so lucky andnow he can't even start his computer!Forward this to everyone in your address book. I would ratherreceive this 25 times than not at all. So, if you receive an emailcalled "WTC Survivor", do not open it. Delete it right away! Thisvirus removes all dynamic link libraries (.dll files) from yourcomputer.

Earlier this week, I saw a 419 scam purporting to be from the brother of the deposed S. Koreanleader, claiming that they had squirrelled away $21 Million in "legitimate" investments. That was the first SK one I'd seen.

Today, I saw the first Iraqi version. Remember, these people want to Scam, Rob and in some cases kill you. The new version:

Dear Friend,

I have made this contact to you with the hope that you can help me out in this my dilemma / problem. I was the personal aide to the Iraqi minister of education and research. Dr Abd Al-khaliq Gafar. That died in the war. Beforethe war, we had traveled to France to negotiate a contract payment deal onbehalf of the Iraqi government on procurement and payment of educationalmaterials and components for the ministry, which entailed him to pay off ourcustomers by cash for onward delivery of the goods via Turkey. Because ofinternational / UN monetary restrictions /sanction on Iraqi. Since ourentire operating bank accounts had been frozen.

In gust of this he had cleverly diverted this sum ($28.5m) for himself and secured it properly with a security vault in Spain for safekeeping. As he had kept these documents in hidden and secret with my knowledge. Now that he is Dead and I was able to escape to Zamfara for safety on political asylum with this document with me now. Hence I am left with these problems of how to recover and collect this fund for re-invest in a viable venture in your country with your assistance and cooperation. Because of oblivious traveling restricts and sanctions as an Iraqi.

I would really want us to do this deal together if only you can be trusted with this information and project. For more details do reach me via my direct email :elmann_mustapha@arabia.com for further instructions and details. I most remind you that my entire life depends on this fund so

Please do not relay this top secret to a third party if you are not interested.

I await you immediate response.

Remain Blessed.

Regards

El - Mustapha

I received an listserv email today with the Subject line:

Fw: FW: AMBER ALERT - PASS IT ON

And my skeptics alarm went off. 1) multiple forwards. 2) All caps. 3) Insisting I pass it on.

The email was about a child missing from South Carolina for the past 2 weeks,and it was heartbreaking.

Luckily, a quick Internet search for 'Penny Brown' turned up the variations on a hoax that has been circulating for a year and a half.

The listserv is a group of people I know, so I didn't flame. but I justwish people would realize that the Internet is 80% garbage!