Most obvious scam ever?

September 8th, 2015 | Odds & Sods

Worst scamWe have all received these hilarious mails (many originating from Nigeria or other parts of the African continent), telling us that if we pay a few thousand Dollars/Euros into the bank account of a complete stranger, then we will be showered with wealth beyond our wildest dreams. Well, sometimes these scams are aimed specifically at certain types of business.

For example, wineries sometimes receive enquiries from scammers posing as wine importers, or perhaps supermarkets, in an attempt to ship vast amounts of stock on credit. Some scammers even go as far as setting up fake websites, mirroring existing companies, but including some very subtle differences. Quite sophisticated…..

I think it’s fair to say that today’s picture shows one of the less sophisticated attempts – a three or four line mail, with the opening salutation “We are ASDA” (one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, owned by Walmart). No banners, no headers or footers, no logos, and using an e-mail address that clearly has nothing to do with the legitimate company.

I am insulted to think that the perpetrator thinks, even for one second, that we might fall for this – do they really believe that we are terminally stupid? (That’s a rhetorical question!)Worst scamWe have all received these hilarious mails (many originating from Nigeria or other parts of the African continent), telling us that if we pay a few thousand Dollars/Euros into the bank account of a complete stranger, then we will be showered with wealth beyond our wildest dreams. Well, sometimes these scams are aimed specifically at certain types of business.

For example, wineries sometimes receive enquiries from scammers posing as wine importers, or perhaps supermarkets, in an attempt to ship vast amounts of stock on credit. Some scammers even go as far as setting up fake websites, mirroring existing companies, but including some very subtle differences. Quite sophisticated…..

I think it’s fair to say that today’s picture shows one of the less sophisticated attempts – a three or four line mail, with the opening salutation “We are ASDA” (one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, owned by Walmart). No banners, no headers or footers, no logos, and using an e-mail address that clearly has nothing to do with the legitimate company.

I am insulted to think that the perpetrator thinks, even for one second, that we might fall for this – do they really believe that we are terminally stupid? (That’s a rhetorical question!)

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