SCAM-tastic!

Yesterday morning, I received an SMS from cellphone number +63 927 461 0689 and here's the message as it was sent to me: "D'AUDITORS OF PHIL.CHARITY FOUNDATION nform u that ur CELPHONE no. Won P950,000 2nd prize winner, drw last, 10-21-05. PLS CALL ME NOW im atty. Emilio V. Flores". I promptly replied (also via SMS) "this message has been forwarded to the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission).

These types of scam has been spreading like the plague and a surprising number of people has been hoodwinked by these types of messages. If I was gullible enough to call the lowlife that sent this, he would probably ask me to send him a couple of thousand pesos worth of prepaid cellphone number as payment for "tax" and processing. There were TV reports where people pawned their land in order to pay for their "prize's" tax and processing fees but still these scams continue. Why? Man's inherent greed. Their desire to get something out of nothing.

Well. as P.T. Barnum used to say -- "There's a sucker born every minute" but I'm proud to say I'M NOT ONE OF THEM.

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I also have my share of "pen pals" from Nigeria. I've received a lot of emails from recently deceased "relative's" lawyers, informing me that those relatives has left a sizeable amount that they can wire to me as soon as I get in touch with them. I've even received a mail from Mrs. Eloisa Estrada, the wife of the deposed Philippine President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, asking for assistance in retrieving their millions in deposit. Well, I know for a fact that money doesn't simply fall on my lap without any efforts and if I'm a bit more greedy, I'd probably corresponded with them -- NOT. But a lot of other people do and I can't seem to comprehend why they fall for obvious scams like that.

I'm no psychologist so I won't even venture to present any theories as to why people even take such messages seriously.