August 9, 2016

How Much Are Internet Kidneys Going For These Days?

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From my inbox this morning, here is the entire message:

Please I want to sell one of my kidney o+

I don’t think I need a kidney at the moment, but maybe later. And anyway, I need one in A-negative. If you’re going to spam me with this stuff, the least you can do is have the decency to hack into my medical records and offer me one of the right blood type. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

So is this the latest internet scam? Or has it been going on for a while and I only found out about it today? How does it work? Maybe if I reply, I’ll then get a long sob story about why this poor guy needs to sell his kidney and I’ll be so heartbroken I’ll PayPal him $10,000 to put his life back together. That’s the best I can figure out. Anyone have a better idea?

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What’s independent journalism worth to you?

Our news will always be free to read, watch, and listen to online. But what is its value?

Unbiased reporting on the issues that billionaire-owned newsrooms won’t touch. Fearless research into the dark corners of government and corporations. Ferociously fact-checked news that focuses on the facts, and the facts alone.

It IS free for you and every reader, viewer, and listener to utilize. But it’s not free for our team to make. So, what’s it worth to you? Let us know by making a donation: Make a one-time donation today to support this work. Or make a monthly sustaining donation to help us plan for the future.

Whatever you choose, know that you’re supporting more independent, investigative journalism in a time when we need it most.

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