News You Can Bruise for 2002 May 20

Early entrants in the spam scam contest:

From me:

• Amount: $20,500,000
• My cut: Not specified
• Proposed crime: Embezzlement of Nigerian government funds

From Sumana:

• Amount: $30,000,000
• Sumana's cut: 25% ($7,500,000)
• Proposed crime: Embezzlement of Nigerian government funds

From my mother ("The syntax does appear to be from a Nigerian English language learner," she says):

• Amount: $40,600,000
• My mother's cut: Not specified
• Proposed crime: Hiding assets from the Nigerian government

For some reason I get the feeling that people think this contest is not a real contest. Well, it is! Right down to the valueless prizes! Send in your incitements to fraud today!

I have a feeling that the new scams are a bit toned down compared to the old-school ones, in terms of the unsavoriness of the characters and activities involved.