This is what happens when you reply to spam email l TED

Summary

In a humorous recounting, James Beach shares his experience of engaging with a scammer named Solomon who proposed a dubious gold shipment deal. Initially tempted, James crafts a ridiculous code for their emails, filled with playful terms like 'gummy bear' and 'cream egg,' and continues the banter for three years. He humorously emphasizes the importance of wasting scammers' time instead of targeting vulnerable individuals. James highlights a particularly funny interaction with someone pretending to be Winnie Mandela, illustrating the absurdity of scams and how a lighthearted approach can turn the tables on fraudsters.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker received a spam email from a scammer named Solomon, which piqued his curiosity.
• 😀 Solomon claimed he would ship gold, offering a 10% commission for distribution, which sounded enticing.
• 😀 The speaker initially considered engaging further, reflecting on the potential of handling large quantities of gold.
• 😀 Humor was incorporated as the speaker jokingly asked for a trial shipment of a metric ton of gold.
• 😀 The speaker played along with Solomon, creating a playful narrative around their correspondence.
• 😀 Concern for security led the speaker to suggest using a whimsical code for their communications.
• 😀 The speaker humorously documented the absurdity of their exchanges with Solomon using silly code words.
• 😀 After ongoing engagement with scam emails, the speaker decided to reply to as many as possible for fun.
• 😀 The speaker emphasized that wasting scammers' time could help protect vulnerable individuals from losing money.
• 😀 The experience of interacting with scammers turned into a three-year project filled with unexpected and humorous outcomes.

Q & A

What unusual email did the speaker receive?

The speaker received a spam email from someone named Solomon who proposed a business opportunity involving shipping gold.

How did the speaker initially react to the email?

The speaker was tempted to delete the email but decided to engage with Solomon instead.

What business proposition did Solomon offer?

Solomon offered to ship gold, stating that the speaker would earn 10% from the gold distributed.

What was the initial quantity of gold discussed?

The initial quantity discussed was 25 kilograms of gold.

What quantity of gold did the speaker eventually ask for?

The speaker pushed for at least a metric ton of gold, finding smaller amounts uninteresting.

What humorous elements did the speaker introduce in his communication with Solomon?

The speaker created a code involving words like 'gummybear,' 'cream egg,' and 'jellybeans' to use in future correspondence.

How did Solomon respond to the code created by the speaker?

Solomon eventually responded with a message that humorously referenced the code, indicating he was continuing the business deal.

What did the speaker conclude about his interactions with scammers?

The speaker found that replying to scam emails was entertaining and believed he was wasting scammers' time rather than harming anyone.

What advice does the speaker give to those who want to engage with scammers?

He advises using a separate online email address and not using personal images to avoid unwanted spam.

What was one of the most amusing scam emails the speaker received?

He received an email claiming to be from Winnie Mandela, asking for help transferring $45 million due to Nelson Mandela's health condition.