S/O Beggars, Moochers and Scammers

[Hillia]

I actually knew a woman once who won a car in one of those 'tour our time share' deals.  She did have to pay the taxes, but it was a few hundred dollars on a nice midrange car (a Ford Escort or similar) so it was a very good deal for her.  I also knew someone who actually won a speedboat in a convenience store bingo game - the kind where you have to collect all the pieces to fill in a game board.  He was married with small children and had  no use for a speedboat, so he sold it and bought a nice family-friendly pontoon boat with all the trimmings for fishing trips to the lake.

[Where's the Quiet?]

I've gotten this email three times so far this week:

"Congratulations! You have been selected to be a contestant on Deal or No Deal."

And then there's a link to confirm my invitation. It's got to be totally legitimate! 

[jedikaiti]

I've gotten 3 emails in 2 days to my <university>.edu e-mail account about my mailbox approaching storage limit and I need to follow this link to prevent de-activation. Each email has come from a .edu address, but from 3 different schools - and none of them mine!

[ladyknight1]

I received this message today in my work email:

We are writing to let you know about GradHearts, the dating site for people with graduate degrees.

To become a GradHearts member you must have a graduate degree (Master's or Doctorate).  This means that you will always have something in common with anyone you meet through the site.  It's an automatic 'dating filter'!

You can sign up for free by visiting the site:

http://www.gradhearts.com?i=276157

Plus, sign up before the end of the month and you will receive 3 days of full membership for free.

If you have any questions, please let us know.  We look forward to welcoming you to GradHearts.

Kind regards,

David

Membership Development Coordinator

GradHearts.com - dating for people with graduate degrees


Apparently, they sent it university-wide. I don't have a graduate degree and I am not single, so I must not be in their target demographic.

[baglady]

Every so often I get an email allegedly from Earthlink telling me my credit card didn't go through and I need to give them my updated CC information, yada yada ....

I haven't paid my Earthlink bill by credit card since 2005. That's when Earthlink and Time Warner made a deal to make cable Internet available to Earthlink customers. And that's when I started paying Time Warner for my Internet. By check.

[nutraxfornerves]

I once came close to ignoring a genuine "you are a winner." I got an email purporting to be from my phone company, saying that I'd won a $100 gift card. Yeah, right. Hit delete.

Then I remembered that I had visited the site of some contest the company was running. To be entered into the drawing for the $10,000 prize, you had to complete a silly fill-in-the-blanks quiz. Things like "XYZ is the b_st phone company on the planet." I did it for the heck of it, figuring nothing would happen.

I looked at that email again. I know how to read headers and everything looked legit. So I went back to the contest page and checked the fine print. There was a secondary contest. A computer had picked 10 random dates & times. The person who entered the contest closest to one of those times would win a $100 gift card.

It bought us a lovely dinner at a nice restaurant.

[JoW]

I usually say "yeah, sure", roll my eyes, and chuck the mail. But I'm not clear on what they're expecting to happen. Is it all a ploy to lure me to the dealership? Are they going to try and hook me with a new car and then give me a much lower trade-in on my car? I've always wondered what would happen if I walked into the dealership and tried to get the high cash amount they keep offering me, and refused to even look at other vehicles.

Yes, it's a ploy - and if you went in and didn't look at another car, they'd find a reason not to give you the deal. In many areas, used cars are holding their value so well, and are in such demand, that they are worth enough to justify that extra $$ from the dealer. Many folks are preferring used because of the economy, either not wanting to spend the money, not able to get financing, or don't want to drive something flashy when others can't.

I get them ALL THE TIME. Even since we moved. On my 2006 Kia van. If they're that desperate for a car that old, makes me wonder what they'd offer me for my 1997 Camry!

I got  that letter today.  They want to buy back my 2012 Rav 4.  The one I bought new 33 days ago. The stationary has my dealer's name on it, but the return address is a different state. I suspect it came from a corporate office. 

[WestAussieGirl]

I've recently joined an Internet dating site. I have been getting at least one message a day from different guys who are all around 19 or 20yo (I'm 40). I've got a reasonably healthy self-image but I really can't imagine I'm suddenly irrisistible to teenage boys. I feel like it must be a scam but I can't figure it out. They aren't especially hot guys or anything, just ordinary looking kids.

Any ideas, or are there really a seemingly endless supply of boys looking for Mrs Robinson?

[Outdoor Girl]

I've recently joined an Internet dating site. I have been getting at least one message a day from different guys who are all around 19 or 20yo (I'm 40). I've got a reasonably healthy self-image but I really can't imagine I'm suddenly irrisistible to teenage boys. I feel like it must be a scam but I can't figure it out. They aren't especially hot guys or anything, just ordinary looking kids.

Any ideas, or are there really a seemingly endless supply of boys looking for Mrs Robinson?

Boys that age are probably just looking for willing partners and figure an older woman won't have strings.  And they believe that old study saying boys are at their sexual prime at 18-20 and women at 35-40.   

[KarenK]

I've recently joined an Internet dating site. I have been getting at least one message a day from different guys who are all around 19 or 20yo (I'm 40). I've got a reasonably healthy self-image but I really can't imagine I'm suddenly irrisistible to teenage boys. I feel like it must be a scam but I can't figure it out. They aren't especially hot guys or anything, just ordinary looking kids.

Any ideas, or are there really a seemingly endless supply of boys looking for Mrs Robinson?

Boys that age are probably just looking for willing partners and figure an older woman won't have strings.  And they believe that old study saying boys are at their sexual prime at 18-20 and women at 35-40.   

Also, it's well-known that older women are grateful!

[Midge]

I've gotten 3 emails in 2 days to my <university>.edu e-mail account about my mailbox approaching storage limit and I need to follow this link to prevent de-activation. Each email has come from a .edu address, but from 3 different schools - and none of them mine!

I get those on my university (I work in marketing for a college) account as well! They usually start out "I am saying that your mailbox is full" blah blah blah "your mailbox will be destroyed." So believable. 

[TootsNYC]

I just got a spam/scam email from "The King of Narnia." WOW.

Bet it's Edmund.

LOL!

HIGH KING Edmund.

No, Peter is the High King. Edmund is just a king.

[VorFemme]

I've recently joined an Internet dating site. I have been getting at least one message a day from different guys who are all around 19 or 20yo (I'm 40). I've got a reasonably healthy self-image but I really can't imagine I'm suddenly irrisistible to teenage boys. I feel like it must be a scam but I can't figure it out. They aren't especially hot guys or anything, just ordinary looking kids.

Any ideas, or are there really a seemingly endless supply of boys looking for Mrs Robinson?

Boys that age are probably just looking for willing partners and figure an older woman won't have strings.  And they believe that old study saying boys are at their sexual prime at 18-20 and women at 35-40.   

Also, it's well-known that older women are grateful!

After all, Ben Franklin wrote that in his letters.....

[Jones]

Apparently my best bud, Jennifer Aniston, can help me lose weight. Also got an email from Katy Perry about dating.
I must be in high demand socially.

[Shalamar]

Me too!  I seem to be BFFs with Jen, Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry, and Oprah now.  I'm sorry; I won't be able to hang out on these boards anymore - I'm moving up in the world!