And Now, Memorial Day Spam

David Weigel | May 29, 2006

The Hurricane Katrina spam-scams probably set the record for gracelessness. But this little missive, received just an hour or so ago, comes pretty close.

Dear Friend,
I know you would be surprised to read from someone relatively unknown to you, but before i continue, My name is Capt. Donovan Greene, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, which was deployed to Iraq in the beginning of the war in Iraq. I would like to share some highly personal classified information about my personal experience and role which I played in the pursuit of my career serving under the U.S 1st Marine Division which was at the fore-front of the war in Iraq.

Though, I would oblige to hold back certain information for security reasons for now until you have found the time to visit the BBC website stated below to enable you have insight as to what I'm intending to share with you, believing that it would be of your desired interest one way or the other.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm
But in a nutshell, we want to move some part of this money out and we need a honest and brave and capable person who can assist and use the money for investments profitable enough for us to lay back on something good when we come back, because for now my health is not sound enough and very soon i will be relieved of my service.
please upon your acceptance to work with us send me your full names, address and contact telephone and time you can be called for security purpose, the diplomat in charge will call you, we are running out of time please.
Please send your response via email to [e-mail]

Anyone else disappointed that the letter isn't from Capt. Larry Odagwu of the special Nigerian strike force in Iraq?

Comments

|5.29.06 @ 1:23PM|#

Anyone else disappointed that the letter isn't from Capt. Larry Odagwu of the special Nigerian strike force in Iraq?

I sure as hell am. Those free-riding Nigerians get all the benefit of our actions in Iraq, but do none of the heavy lifting. Boo.

|5.29.06 @ 1:39PM|#

There was a similar one to this posted by Cavanaugh back in March: http://www.reason.com/hitandrun/2006/03/support_our_tro_1.shtml

|5.29.06 @ 1:45PM|#

Nigeria has troops in Iraq?

Warren|5.29.06 @ 2:04PM|#

Graceless? Well sure, but it's just a 419 variation. I don't see it as particularly noteworthy. Unless you're suggesting that when it comes to scamming cash from the grotesquely gullible and greedy, it is somehow beyond the pale to imply our patriotic young men in uniform are corruptible. If anything it's more graceful because the author is mostly English literate.

I have pretty good spam filtering, and what does get through I just toss. So I'm not familiar with Katrina spam. I can guess though that it implored the reader to send cash to aid various people (and animals) that were victimized by the hurricane. That is more graceless to my mine, or perhaps a better word is reprehensible, because it preys on the victim's compassion vs. their greed.

Rich Ard|5.29.06 @ 2:10PM|#

I think a better word, Warren, would be "mind".

:)

Warren|5.29.06 @ 3:22PM|#

yeah, I'm mostly English literate myself.

|5.29.06 @ 4:15PM|#

I was gonna write, "Drinkin' some wine. Eatin' some cheese. Catchin' some rays."

...but then I got a nasty case of thread deja vu.

http://www.reason.com/hitandrun/2006/03/support_our_tro_1.shtml

|5.29.06 @ 4:53PM|#

"I got a nasty case of thread deja vu."

If you read my reply at 1:39 PM, it will get worse.

|5.29.06 @ 5:31PM|#

Sure enough, SR.

|5.29.06 @ 6:11PM|#

As an OIF vet, I'm inclined to be a **tad** more pissed about my SSN, health records, and personal info being "stolen" from the stupid, incompetent VA than I am about spam scammers insulting we troops/vets that are hypocritically put on pedestals by sunshine patriots and chickenshit chickenhawks.

What this spammer is electronically attempting isn't even remotely in the ballmark of what the VA has done to TENS of MILLIONS of vets.

Maybe we should just launch a giant screw into a permanent geosynchronous orbit as a Memorial Day testament to welfare state incompetence and accountability ...

|5.29.06 @ 6:41PM|#

Who knew that battle-hardened Marines had the writing skills of an Oxbridge don??

|5.29.06 @ 7:28PM|#

As a Marine in a former life, I wonder how low the public perception of Marines can go.

As a group, Marines have always suffered from schozophrenia. On the one hand ruthless leatherneck high-diddle-diddle, straight up the middle. On the other, John Phillips Souza and his band of renown.

Having been a sissy Marine, I was proud to have been associated with a Marine experiment in Vietnam called the Combined Action Program. But that was another example of too much warm, fuzzy, touchy-feely. (Although, considered as a "regiment," it was deadly to the bad guys.)

Strategically, military higher-ups should have always kept the Marines in a glass box with the glass to be broken only in case of a real emergency.

|5.29.06 @ 7:42PM|#

"military higher-ups should have always kept the Marines in a glass box with the glass to be broken only in case of a real emergency."

I think my father, who was in the Army, would say that he would hope that glass box was air-tight too. ;-)

|5.29.06 @ 9:31PM|#

"As a Marine in a former life, I wonder how low the public perception of Marines can go."

What are you in this life, Ruthless? A Sailor? (LOL, Sorry, couldn't resist)!

I don't know about where you live, but at least here in Cowland (Central Ohio), people seem to be able to separate the actions of a few reprobates from the entire Corps. Just today, there was a big parade for the Marines who served with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, which took a great number of casualties last year.

Also, the Democrats, Libs, and "progressives" will tread lightly as there are many of their own ilk who have, or had, young 'uns over yonder, such as Mayor Daley of Chicago. Columbus' mayor has a son that served with Lima Company.

Even this WILL NOT help the Dems to retake the House or Senate this fall.

|5.29.06 @ 10:04PM|#

"but at least here in Cowland (Central Ohio),"

Speaking of perception, I thought Central Ohio was home of the other white meat, and I don't mean flounder... wait! That's the other FLAT meat.

And in THIS life, I'm just Ruthless.

Furthermore you are correct: The DemocRATS will not prevail this fall.
They might do better if they had a stategery, but the system has already been rigged agin 'em. So they are smart not to tax their brains.

|5.30.06 @ 5:40AM|#

That's Colonel Odagwu. My unit found much more money than your Mareens, and I used part of it too get a promoshon. Unfortunetlie, I still have much money in a dufel bag here in Iraq. I could use some help geting it out of the countrie. Sins you look like an honest person, I am asking your helping me in this mater.

Felisitashuns and sexiness,

Colonel Larry Odagwu
412th Nigerian Guards Regiments
Basra, Iraqs

|5.30.06 @ 5:43AM|#

Did I menshun that I need your bank account number? Thats important.