Friday, October 14, 2005

Gald to Fedex to Nigeria

I got an email from my website today.  The email function on the website is designed to avoid spammers clogging up my mail box.   It's worked perfectly well until today.  Today I received this email.  (I've deleted the name just in case it's not actually a spam scam and R- G- is a real person and a potential customer who I am not only blowing off, but making fun of on my blog).

Hello sales,
My name is R- G- i will like to have your products as a gifts
from your gallery for my parent who are celebrating their 30th Wedding
Annivasary, the shipping will be through FEDEX, TO NIGERIA so i will
be gald to have your reply asap. I will be glad if you can send me
your website address to choose. Payment will be make by my credit card
info for you to charge, Visa or Master Card. So get back to me as soon
as possible.
Await for your response.
Regards
R- G-
for:r-g-01

1. I'm not sure how the scam would work if she is going to give me her credit card number, but at this stage I don't have the facility to process credit card transactions so her number will do me no good anyway.
2. Nigeria is like a red-flag code word for dodgy internet deals- hello! Apologies to the vast majority of Nigerians who I'm confident are scrupulously honest in their business dealings. It must be terrible trying to get an honest internet business going from Nigeria.
3. She (or more likely the programme calling itself R-G-) sent this message from my gallery website so the only reason she could want my website address is to get my email address. I don't think that's a good idea.
4. I wouldn't want to discriminate against potential customers with excruciatingly bad grammar and spelling but I am selling poetry books. If you are illiterate, you are almost certainly not my target market.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm chuckling out loud at this right now!

JJ LaBarbera said...

I work for FedEx and I can say that there is a HUGE scam for sending products to Nigeria that have been bought on stolen credit card information. The credit card that they would send you is probably a stolen card. They set up FedEx accounts on stolen account numbers as well. You are right to ignore this.
Just posting as I saw this and thought that I'd warn you and anyone else that reads this.