Journal

Ironically coincidental spam, or just a confused request?

10 Comments

You may or may not remember the Open Letter in which I mentioned Tahitian Noni Juice. If not, suffice it to say that I tasted it and found it nasty. I also held in high disregard the “science” claiming that it has medicinal effects.

Well, this morning I got the following email message:

Dear Sir,
My name is Samuel Harrison ; I work with the Deeper Life Ministry. We are a christian organisation who is dedicated in helping the needy and the sick all over West Africa.We have heard alot of great deal about this your NONI product and I would like to place an order for some.Please let me know how best you can help us get the juice over here and the things you will need in getting me the juice and i will make sure to do everything possible to get them for you .Also let me know the number of days it will take you to prepare the noni for me and let know if you it will be able to help me get the Noni Juice .I found your website in a magazine when i came across Noni distributors and sellers. Let me know how we can proceed with this order ,so that we build a health and a God fearing relationship between us. Thank you, I hope you understand our problem and give us the juice at a negotiable price because we are not going to sell the juice out. Yours Faithfully, Samuel Harrison. ( T D L M )

Here’s my multiple-choice take on this:

1) Face-value. Samuel Harrison really wants to give this stuff to his West African congregants and charges, and somehow got the idea that I’m pro-Noni. He’s an idiot.
2) Targetted scam. I mentioned Noni on my site, and he’s looking for an “in” by which he can resell the stuff to unsuspecting African consumers at a profit. He’s still an idiot.
3) Practical joke. I’ll get you for this, chalain. Idiot.
4) Spam. It’s just a coincidence that I’ve mentioned Noni in the past. I’m such an idiot.

Were I a PAID LiveJournal user I supposed I could make this a poll, and let you guys vote on your favorite. Me, I’m thinking it’s #2.

–Howard

10 thoughts on “Ironically coincidental spam, or just a confused request?”

  2. Scan v2

    there is always option 2a, a targeted scam where he is leading you on for a little while then will have some problem with “getting permits” or “import duties”, he will then request some money from you (just a little you know) to help resolve the problem. Since you would be “Selling” the juice, you should be more than willing to help with “resolving” this problem.

    This reads much like the nigerian scams that I get all the time.

    2. Re: Scan v2

      Yeah… but via Noni? Seems like a stretch. It makes sense, but I’d expect him to pick a different product. Unless he’s discovered that Noni distributors are all super-optimistic morons.

      You know, the more I listen to myself, the more I’m inclined to agree with your “2a” take.

      –Howard

  4. Scam.

    There are a lot of spaces between some of the words and punctuation — a sign to me that it was an “insert word of choice to appear enticing” bit. There are also mispellings… “alot”, “when i came” (note the lowercase I), Noni being capitalized one time and not in another… NONI in caps (WTF?)

    “I found your website in a magazine when i came across Noni distributors and sellers.” — didn’t know you worked together 😉

    Hey, Schlock? These morons stole your ovalkwik!

    Lizard Rat out.
    Grammar Nazi in Albany NY

  7. I’d have to go with 2a also. I suspect he would eventually want your account and routing number for “ease of money deposit (and withdrawal)” 😛

    What does the return email address look like? …

    Malcor

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