I just got this email from a phisherman attempting to capture my Ebay information:

We recently have determined that different computers have logged onto your eBay account, and multiple password failures were present before the logons. We strongly advice [sic] CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD.

If this is not completed by Octomber [sic] 20, 2005, we will be forced to suspend your account indefinitely, as it may have been used for fraudulent purposes. Thank you for your cooperation.

(By the way, the URL for the frauds is at the domain: http://dsl-chn-static-045.45.101.203.touchtelindia.net/ in case someone else wants to turn them in to Ebay and the FBI.)

Note also that I got this email on Novober...errr...November 11. But maybe Octomber comes after that. It's hard to know...

I got this one today ....

"I KOFI ANNAN, secretary-general of the united nations, would like to ask your partnership in reprofilling funds over $250m in excess ,the funds would be coming via a string of selected banks in Europe and Asia. The funds in question were generated by me during the oil for food program in Iraq. I have been getting scandals/ controversy in this regards, you can read more on the links below-"

That's funny, Keith, but I still like the ones that I got from Suha Arafat from Paris about a year ago after the old terrorist (finally) kicked the bucket.

Of course, Kofi is slick and knows how to do these things i.e. "don't email me at work". He continues:

"You would be paid 5% as your management fee. please do not write back directly to me via my official email address as all further correspondence should be sent to my private mail box. As soon as you indicate your interest i will give further details, remember to treat this mail and transaction as strictly confidential. I will wait to get your urgent correspondence via my private mail box-

KOFI ANNAN,
SECRETARY- GENERAL
kofiannan005@walla.com
www.un.org"

I can't believe that you couldn't Remember the First of Octember, Rand... Dr. Seuss would not be pleased...

(Ironically, Oct. 1 is Nigerian Independence Day...)

I've gotten so many of those things that they tend to blur, but I do recall with fondness the one from the wife of a former President of the Phillipines, the one from the son of a former Iraqi dictator, one from a famous person in the Balkans, well you get the drift. What amazes me is that people actually do seem to fall for this stuff.