February 11, 2010

Dumbest Spam Yet?

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We’re all familiar with silly spam email from Nigeria and elsewhere that informs you that hundreds of thousands of dollars are waiting for you—if you just send along your private banking information. Everyone wonders who falls for this and why these emails keep on coming. The spammers don’t seem to be getting any more sophisticated. Here’s one I received today:

Hi Sir,

R u free for business meeting

Thanks & Regards

Kobra

Kobra? It seems a James Bond villain is trying to con me. And who would jump at the chance to take a meeting with a fellow—I’m assuming it’s a fellow—with such a name? 

If anyone wants to investigate Kobra, the email came from this address: safsa.9789@gmail.com. And please tell him or her I’m all booked up.


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3 DAYS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just 3 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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