Sponsor's Message

Well just to show that such things aren't limited to the Net, I've already received two similar solicitations by regular mail this week already.

The first was a printed copy of the age-old David Rhodes chain letter, promising me tens of thousands of dollars in easy-money if I just make 200 photocopies of it and send it to other people, then fire off $10 to the five names on a list of mugs it included.

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What gives here?

Who, other than a total moron, would put their name and address on an illegal chain letter then send it out to 200 other people?

Are these people just ignorant of the law?

Are they mathematically challenged?

Are they just hoping that there are many other people as stupid or greedy as themselves who will be dumb enough to send them $10 in the mail?

Surely it's about time some of these idiots were given a good kick up the backside and made very clearly aware that they're not only wasting their money but also engaging in an illegal activity.

The other "interesting" bit of mail I got was from yet another bunch of Aussie domain name scammers.

Their letter (and invoice) was a first-notice that one of my dot-com domain names was set to expire in a few months and that I should renew early to avoid inconvenience.

Of course they are *not* the registry through which I hold that domain name and their pitch was a covert attempt to get me to switch registrars to them.

Although I'm used to getting such solicitations, I expect that many others are not and would simply pay this invoice, unaware that it hadn't actually been sent by the company with who they originally registered that name.

Why is it Australians who seem so strongly drawn to set up such schemes?

What's the best/worst such solicitation you've received through the post (as opposed to through email)?

And, since no-one has yet indicated that they're going to take up my idea of running a competition designed to educate Net-users, I think I might just do it myself.

If someone's interested in sponsoring a decent prize then drop me a line.

Go have your say in The Aardvark Forums

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