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July 05, 2007
NY Times: Email Scammers Need Love, Too
Every day the New York Times tosses out some idiocy reflecting the oppression and evil intent lurking behind every news story. Its group-grievance template for understanding the world makes for unintentionally hilarious reading.
Case in point: this past Monday had an article, "A Web Cadre Turns the Tables on African Scam Artists." The article spoke of scam-baiters who trick and foil the criminals who send out fake emails enticing people to get rich quick off hidden millions in Africa and elsewhere.
While grudgingly acknowledging the harm scammers do, the Times dutifully found a source who reacted with horror at the hoaxes played on scammers. In the Times' view, the scammers are the ultimate victims, with injured dignity on the level of those saintly poets of Gitmo, practically. Here is the money-shot paragraph:
"At first you might smile and think the trophy photographs are funny, but I have seen some with fraudsters in highly degrading positions," said Ralf Zimmermann, a crime intelligence officer in the financial and high-technology crimes division of Interpol, based in Lyon, France. "They are fraudsters and they are not good people, but they have their human rights."
How much digging did it take to find this perspective, which sounds so right for the Times? Now, a smart reporter would have asked, "OK, Ralf, enlighten us about those human rights." That's such a natural question that even a caveman would ask it. Instead, the article leaves this delicious nugget of assertion hanging there, images of tearful, humiliated scammers dancing in our heads.
For a new book on scam-baiting, check out "Greetings in Jesus Name!"
For the people who make the scam-baiting magic happen, by all means to go www.419eater.com and www.scamorama.com
But please, remember to shed a tear at any violations of human rights.
Van | 07/05/07 at 08:48 PM | Categories: - Amazing things
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Comments
And don't forget Blogger, Steve Graham at Hog on Ice who wrote Good Spam Ugly
oceanguy | July 6, 2007 08:57 AM
OK, Van ,it's been more than a month now: what have you and Asher done with Judith and Alcibiades? (I don't much care what you've done with Cinnamon and Benjamin, provided they never waste your readers' time again.)
Have the Massachusetts pogroms (I am reminded that Benjamin Kerstein "fled" to Israel from wicked Bostonian anti-Semitism) reached New York? Has my fellow Richard Thompson fan been reduced to a pile of gold fillings and a pillaged suitcase? Or is she sick/troubled/bereaved? If the former, I may have to re-evaluate my estimation of Benjamin's grasp of reality. If the latter, please pass Judith my sincerest sympathy and best wishes.
If she's simply on an extended holiday, tell her to pull out her finger and get back here. No disrespect, Van, but I've read Judith Weiss and, buddy, you're no Judith Weiss.
It should be:
419eater.com
M. Simon ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.keshertalk.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| July 8, 2007 01:15 PM
The guys undoubtedly have human rights, but let's just remember that nothing other than their own greed is forcing them to have the "degrading" photographs taken.
