A well know one begins: “I accidentally discovered this amazing secret. I wish to send it to you free. In fact, I am convinced that over the next 30 days a ‘Miracle’ will certainly occur, one which could shelter you from need for the rest of your days…”
The information which follows suggests that the recipient can guarantee good fortune for themselves by paying a sum of money for the "loan" of "Merlin's Magic Wand" for a number of months. (Also on offer is a "gift worth more than £10" in return for a prompt reply).
It includes anonymous endorsements from people whose lives are claimed to have been changed.
In some cases, these mailings adopt a more aggressive tone, suggesting that the recipient will actually experience some misfortune if they do not respond by the sending money requested.
Such mailings prey directly on the vulnerable and are particularly unpleasant. There are a number of instances where they have been received by people at the time of some misfortune, such as a bereavement, and have caused considerable distress.
Although they are sent out in their millions, the mailings are personalised to make it look as if you have been specifically chosen.
If you respond you are likely to be bombarded with further scams, because your name will be added to a 'sucker' list.
Mail of this kind should be treated with exactly the same scepticism as all other forms of unsolicited scam mailing.
Don’t reply to these mailings - destroy them without responding. |