An email from Sam, who doesn’t appear to have a surname, doesn’t work for a bank or any other financial institution but wants to give me a lot of money.

He says my application for a new account has been approved and is now active. Also, that it contains $9,716.89.

I just have to click the link to access the account.

$9,716.89 is a strangely exact figure and I haven’t applied for an account of any kind at any financial organisation in years so it’s obviously all lies.

But ‘Sam’ has taken very little trouble to make the email seem real – no company details, no job title or even a surname and no contact details.

Why would anyone believe that an account has been opened for them and a large sum of money deposited?

Maybe desperation and/or stupidity.

That’s sad.

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