It seems like every week I'm being spammed by a new schemer. At first, it was "male enhancement." And don't get me wrong, I'm STILL getting a lot of those kinds of emails. And over the summer, I was getting a lot of solicitations for watches--all kinds of watches. Cheap ones, expensive one, and some of them even came from an address from my own web site. (And believe me, this isn't the first time those addresses have been hijacked. I'm sure there are people in Timbuktu cursing the name Lorraine Bartlett for being inundated with offers of watches, drugs, and god knows what else.)
For the past couple of weeks, I've been bombarded with offers of fake diplomas from some pretty prestigious universities. Hey, with just giving up my credit card number, I could become an instant graduate of Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Smith, and without the bother of attending classes or handing in homework assignments. Pretty cool, huh?
No. Pretty pathetic.
People who fall for these scams are pretty stupid. Sure, put that institution of higher learning on your resume and you might get a call back and maybe even an interview. Okay, some people have even gotten a job with phoney credentials, but somewhere down the line the truth will come out and then humiliation and the unemployment line will be in that person's future. (And try getting a good job after that. Can you say "Walmart Greeter?")
Unlike most people, I check my spam filter several times a day, and that's mainly because I have mail forwarded from my web sites. Some of it is real mail I want to read, and without going to the site itself to retrieve it. But it sure is a pain in the neck to wade through the other crap.
I wish everyone would check their spam filters on a regular basis. You might also find important emails lurking in there. Like maybe newsletters you've signed up for? Many people sign up for my newsletter and then complain they don't get it. Why? Caught in their spam filter. (I advise people who sign up to add my newsletter e-mail to their address books.) And is just so happens -- I sent out my newsletter this morning.
How often do you check YOUR spam filter?
Like you, I check my spam folder several times a day. Spam filters have gotten so tight that a lot of "real" stuff gets caught. It cracks me up that some days, e-mail from a friend who I exchange multiple e-mails with each day ends up in the spam filer. It's become a game for us to figure out which words might have triggered it.
ReplyDeleteIt is frustrating and I wish spammers would go away. It makes e-mail marketing for those of us who have something legitimate to offer (like our books!) very difficult. But the reality is, they won't, and spam filters will probably only get tighter.
You'll be happy to hear that your newsletter from this morning did NOT end up in my spam folder!
Wheee! Your newsletter definitely did NOT end up in my spam folder!! (And I usually check mine every couple of days. Both of my e-mail accounts have a section when I open my e-mail that shows if and/or how many pieces of mail are in my spam folder, bless 'em!) And I'm going out this afternoon to visit my local Barnes & Noble to get your book!! Can't wait!
ReplyDelete