Another spoof email...

Purporting to be my "FINAL WARNING OMGWTFBBQ!!!" from eBay.

Let's see how many errors we can find in this, shall we? We'll have a look at the headers first, where we find out it came from webd@hermes.taz.de. Now, last time I checked, eBay emails come from eBay's server, not some German site. So, strike one.

On to the message:

Dear eBay Customer , [1]

During our regulary [2] schedule [3] account maintenance and verification we have detected a slight error in your billing information on file with eBay. If you do not update your billing informations [4], your account will be deleted for security reasons. Remember that this is your final warning! This might be due to either [5] following reasons:

- A recent change in your personal information (i.e. change of address)
- Submiting invalid information during the initial sign up process.
- An inability to accurately verify your selected option of payment due an internal error within our processors.

Your credit card on file with eBay

Card number: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-4322 [6]
(Not shown for security purposes) Expiration date: 11/05 [7]

Please sign in to your eBay account and update your billing information:

[insert fake link here]

If your account information is not update [8], your ability to sell or bid on eBay will become restricted.

Thank you,
eBay Billing Department

[1] Yeah, that space between "customer" and the comma? Shouldn't be there. And eBay won't start an email to a member like that. Ever.
[2] regulary? Um, I believe the word you're looking for is "regularly."
[3] schedule? Again, should be "sheduled." You know, if you're going to try to panic me into clicking your fake link, you should at least have a grammatically correct spoof email.
[4] informations? Um, no "s" on the end of that word. See [3] above.
[5] "either" implies one of two options. You have three options there. Learn to count. Also, it should be "either of the following reasons."
[6] Last four of that CC#...close, but no cigar.
[7] Expiration of that CC...not even close.
[8] "update" should be "updated."

Therefore, BZZZZT! You lose! Strikes two through nine. Consider yourself reported. [font=Soup Nazi]No information for you![/Soup Nazi]

Jeebers. Do people really fall for these things? Not only that, but I have three more emails in my inbox, all purporting to be from eBay, telling me basically the same thing, in a letter different from this one, but identical to each other--except for the headers. They even took the "not" from the following sentence: "eBay will not request personal data (password, credit card/bank numbers, and so on) in this email." Uh, no, moron, eBay will NEVER request information like that in an email. How stupid do you think I am? Especially when a quick look at the headers tells me who it really came from? So, I won't click on your fake link and give you my credit card number, my bank account and routing number, my PIN, my mother's maiden name, my social security number, or any other information you need to steal my identity. kthxdie.

Another spoof email...

Purporting to be my "FINAL WARNING OMGWTFBBQ!!!" from eBay.

Let's see how many errors we can find in this, shall we? We'll have a look at the headers first, where we find out it came from webd@hermes.taz.de. Now, last time I checked, eBay emails come from eBay's server, not some German site. So, strike one.

On to the message:

Dear eBay Customer , [1]

During our regulary [2] schedule [3] account maintenance and verification we have detected a slight error in your billing information on file with eBay. If you do not update your billing informations [4], your account will be deleted for security reasons. Remember that this is your final warning! This might be due to either [5] following reasons:

- A recent change in your personal information (i.e. change of address)
- Submiting invalid information during the initial sign up process.
- An inability to accurately verify your selected option of payment due an internal error within our processors.

Your credit card on file with eBay

Card number: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-4322 [6]
(Not shown for security purposes) Expiration date: 11/05 [7]

Please sign in to your eBay account and update your billing information:

[insert fake link here]

If your account information is not update [8], your ability to sell or bid on eBay will become restricted.

Thank you,
eBay Billing Department

[1] Yeah, that space between "customer" and the comma? Shouldn't be there. And eBay won't start an email to a member like that. Ever.
[2] regulary? Um, I believe the word you're looking for is "regularly."
[3] schedule? Again, should be "sheduled." You know, if you're going to try to panic me into clicking your fake link, you should at least have a grammatically correct spoof email.
[4] informations? Um, no "s" on the end of that word. See [3] above.
[5] "either" implies one of two options. You have three options there. Learn to count. Also, it should be "either of the following reasons."
[6] Last four of that CC#...close, but no cigar.
[7] Expiration of that CC...not even close.
[8] "update" should be "updated."

Therefore, BZZZZT! You lose! Strikes two through nine. Consider yourself reported. [font=Soup Nazi]No information for you![/Soup Nazi]

Jeebers. Do people really fall for these things? Not only that, but I have three more emails in my inbox, all purporting to be from eBay, telling me basically the same thing, in a letter different from this one, but identical to each other--except for the headers. They even took the "not" from the following sentence: "eBay will not request personal data (password, credit card/bank numbers, and so on) in this email." Uh, no, moron, eBay will NEVER request information like that in an email. How stupid do you think I am? Especially when a quick look at the headers tells me who it really came from? So, I won't click on your fake link and give you my credit card number, my bank account and routing number, my PIN, my mother's maiden name, my social security number, or any other information you need to steal my identity. kthxdie.