Hooray! I just won a million GBP!

[Rath Darkblade]

So I get this SMS on my mobile, which tells me:

+447835567597: www.freelotto.com. Congratulations your mobile number has been selected as winner of £1,000,000. Draw # 0311152013435. For claims, email: claimsinfo4@gmail.com

Please help me decide what to spend the money on! I just can't decide what to buy with my million Pounds!

On a serious note, I'd like to know where they got my number from...

[Jules]

Your first purchase will be a one way ticket out of Australia to get away from those crazy people with short tempers!

[DeadPoolX]

On a serious note, I'd like to know where they got my number from...

It's probably just a spammer texting a ton of phone numbers. I doubt they intentionally targeted you, they're just looking for someone to fall for the scam and respond.

[BBP]

Your first purchase will be a one way ticket out of Australia to get away from those spiders!

Don't they just send that stuff to random numbers?

[Rath Darkblade]

I don't know, I guess so. Anyway, I just didn't reply and deleted it right away.

Speaking of scammers - this is pretty awesome.

[DeadPoolX]

Speaking of scammers - this is pretty awesome.

There are several YouTube videos that cover the same thing, where the home user got a call from "Windows PC Support." In the videos, the home user simply screws around with them and it's pretty entertaining.

It's amazing anyone actually falls for scams like these, but given that so many lack decent knowledge when it comes to computers, I probably shouldn't be surprised.

I don't know why, but for some reason it's still considered okay (and sometimes even "funny" as in the ha-ha variety) to be completely clueless when it comes to computers. Our entire world is computer-driven nowadays, so it's no longer a geeky niche market, it's everyone.

Of course... considering how few people actually care about anything (like professionalism, a work ethic, spelling, grammar, etc), I guess computer illiteracy, for lack of a better term, is to be expected.

[Rath Darkblade]

I don't know why, but for some reason it's still considered okay (and sometimes even "funny" as in the ha-ha variety) to be completely clueless when it comes to computers. Our entire world is computer-driven nowadays, so it's no longer a geeky niche market, it's everyone.

That's because such people are stupid! Therefore, it is our duty as computer geeks to take advantage of such morons while we still can!

(Note to law authorities: of COURSE I'm being facetious (as if you couldn't tell). Please do not arrest me).

Of course... considering how few people actually care about anything (like professionalism, a work ethic, spelling, grammar, etc), I guess computer illiteracy, for lack of a better term, is to be expected.

It's funny you should mention that, given this news story about NFL players' tweets being fixed for grammar and spelling by second-graders. It's a bit sad when adults, playing in a national league, cannot spell to a second-grade level.

[DeadPoolX]

Of course... considering how few people actually care about anything (like professionalism, a work ethic, spelling, grammar, etc), I guess computer illiteracy, for lack of a better term, is to be expected.

It's funny you should mention that, given this news story about NFL players' tweets being fixed for grammar and spelling by second-graders. It's a bit sad when adults, playing in a national league, cannot spell to a second-grade level.

On a more positive note, it says that at least some kids are learning grammar and spelling in school.

[Rath Darkblade]

That's very true. I'm glad they're learning it by correcting other people's mistakes; hopefully they can learn to correct their own too.