? What is the point of pointless spam?

[Agamemnus]

Is it a virus on the computer of the sender or something?

Received: from alba.unet.brandeis.edu ([129.64.99.163])
by sccrmxc15.comcast.net (sccrmxc15) with ESMTP
id <20060305022403s1500chsi4e>; Sun, 5 Mar 2006 02:24:04 +0000
X-Originating-IP: [129.64.99.163]
Received: from btn2005.com (B2.LovechNeT.com [195.138.129.162])
by alba.unet.brandeis.edu (8.13.1/8.13.1) with SMTP id k252NsIn028842
for <...>Sat, 4 Mar 2006 21:24:02 -0500
Received: (qmail 10727 invoked by uid 0); 4 Mar 2006 12:23:27 -0000
Date: 4 Mar 2006 12:23:27 -0000
Message-ID: <20060304122327.10726.qmail@btn2005.com>
To: agamemnu@brandeis.edu
From: Sherry Hill <shill@btn2005.com>
Subject: Job Offer

Dear Student,

I would like to offer you a challenging and well-paid employment opportunity. An International Marketing Research Organization recruits self-motivated and reliable individuals, willing to take part in well-paying research studies conducted for leading US and international businesses. Your opinion as a consumer is important for the success and profitability of many business ventures. That is why they are ready to pay generously for what you think.

You can earn from $300 to $550 a week for participating in online surveys, focus group discussions, and product/service evaluations. Become part of our Marketing Research Organization and earn:

from $5 to $100 for participating in on-line surveys
from $30 to $150 for participating in product/service evaluations
from $50 to $250 for participating in virtual focus group discussions


For your work, you will need just a computer with Internet connection and a valid e-mail address. You will decide when to work and which surveys to take while enjoying the comfort of your room. If you like the job, you can keep it as long as you want!

If you want to become one of our survey takers, please write back and I will send you more information.

Sincerely,
Sherry Hill
.

[Josiah Tobin]

Scam emails. There exists a wonderful internet sport known as 'scambaiting', also, wherein one replies to these emails and feigns interest, often with humorous results. :lol:

[Agamemnus]

I tried feigning interest at one point but I was quickly discovered and my questions were quickly left unanswered. Maybe I could try again...

But I could not figure out from where this email had come from, can you? Is someone hijacking the computer of the sender usually in these types of scenarios? I imagine that getting caught is not something people would like happen to them...

I could set up a task force for my uni if it were possible to track these individuals.. I get these exact same emails about 3-4 times per semester.. (email is redirected to my comcast account from my uni acct btw)

[Ryan]

heh I do online sales for a refrigeration company, and a lot of our work comes through eBay. Some chump started using our eBay ID as a reference for his scam where he would find the 2nd place bidder for an auto parts/auto auction and offer to sell outside of eBay because the first place bidder had defaulted on the bid or something. I decided to reply about some fat rims for a cadillac and he spent a couple emails trying to convince me that a Western Union wire transfer was the only way he could receive funds. He said Paypal was down for maintenance. :roll: