Most Ridiculous Spam I've Ever Received

[Texas Contrarian]

Like everyone else, I've gotten an occasional spam email from crooks claiming to be related to corrupt Nigerian government officials and the like. But now someone claiming to be the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury says he wants to send me $6.5 million, for no apparent reason. All I have to do is send some unknown individual in California a processing fee in the amount of $180. Seriously, does anybody think there's even one idiot in the whole country who would fall for something this ridiculous? And the Department of the Treasury writes me from an aol.com email address? LOL!

From: jacob.jacklew@aol.com

U.S. Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.
Website: http://www.treasury.gov
Date: 8/05/2013

Dear Beneficiary,

My name is "Jacob Jack Lew". I am the New Secretary of the Treasury under the U.S Department of the Treasury. The executive agency responsible for promoting economic prosperity and ensuring the financial security of the United States. I was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 27, 2013, to serve as the 76th Secretary of the Treasury. Prior to my appointment as the 76th Secretary of the Treasury, I have previously served as White House Chief of Staff. Prior to that role, I was the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a position I also held in President Clinton's Cabinet from 1998 to 2001. Before returning to OMB in 2010, I first joined the Obama Administration as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.

However, by virtue of my position as the 76th Secretary of the Treasury, I have irrevocably instructed the Federal Reserve Board to approve your fund release via issuance of a CERTIFIED CHECK drawn on the FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK, which is the authorized bank for your fund release.

However, as a former White House Chief of Staff under the Obama Administration, I wish to state categorically that a CERTIFIED CHECK of $6,500,000.00 USD drawn on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will be issued and sent to you via the US Postal Service at no cost to you. Every and all cost associated with the delivery of the CHECK has been pre-paid by the U.S Government. The only cost associated with your fund release is the cost of processing a "Fund Clearance Certificate", which is estimated to the value of $180.00 USD. The "Fund Clearance Certificate" is required in accordance with the U.S Monetary Policy; and it is the ONLY expenses you will incure before the CHECK will be sent to your mailing address.

Hence, you are advised to send the $180.00 USD via money gram transfer to "MR. ALVIN WILLIAM" who is the nominated receiver for the $180.00 USD. The receiver's information required to send the $180 USD is indicated below:

PAY THROUGH:
MONEY GRAM INTERNATIONAL CASH TRANSFER
Receiver: ALVIN WILLIAM
Receiver's Location: California USA
City: FRESNO
State: California
Test Question: Color
Answer: Blue
Amount: $180 USD

You can get more facts about the U.S. Department of the Treasury on this link http://www.treasury.gov/about/Pages/Secretary.aspx

Please get back to me with a quick confirmation of your mailing address and the payment details for the $180.00 USD.

Yours Sincerely,

Jacob "Jack" Lew
Secretary of the Treasury

[Randy4Candy]

...clearing the US deficit $180.00 at a time...LOL!

[CJ7]

forward that to the FBI, they have people/dept dedicated for shit like that

[JCM800]

sounds legit ....might as well send that cash priority mail

[satexasguy]

Hey if you're not going to go for it, I will. LOL

The sad thing is that people actually fall for this crap. I was in a bank several years ago and overheard a guy complaining that he was duped out of $800.00. The bank representative said that the check he deposited for $xx,xxx.xx had bounced. He said it should be a good check because the email he got said that all he had to do was to send them a good faith check in the amount of $800.oo and they would send him the check for $xx,xxx.xx. The bank representative was trying to keep a straight face when she told him he should never send someone money first. And this was a young guy in his early to mid 20's.

[Texas Contrarian]

Originally Posted by satexasguy

The sad thing is that people actually fall for this crap...

I'm afraid you're right. Even if a tiny, tiny percentage of recipients rush a money order to these crooks, the bad guys make out like bandits if they blast out emails to a million or two people. I've read that some spammers manage to do that, or even exceed those numbers.

One of my brothers guessed that at least a tenth of a percentage point of people who receive emails like this fall for them hook, line, and sinker. Assholes like this "Jack Lew" spammer often rake in quite a haul of cash.

And through shrewd financial planning, many are able to top all that off with a few years of free room and board at taxpayers' expense!