[TriLUG] SCO spam scam ???

[Brent Verner]

[ This is just too funny to not pass along. ]


DEAR SIR/MADAM:

I AM MR. DARL MCBRIDE CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE SCO GROUP, FORMERLY KNOWN AS CALDERA SYSTEMS
INTERNATIONAL, IN LINDON, UTAH, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I KNOW
THIS LETTER MIGHT SURPRISE YOUR BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD NO PREVIOUS
COMMUNICATIONS OR BUSINESS DEALINGS BEFORE NOW.

MY ASSOCIATES HAVE RECENTLY MADE CLAIM TO COMPUTER SOFTWARES WORTH
AN ESTIMATED $1 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS. I AM WRITING TO YOU IN
CONFIDENCE BECAUSE WE URGENTLY REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE TO OBTAIN
THESE FUNDS.

IN THE EARLY 1970S THE AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION
DEVELOPED AT GREAT EXPENSE THE COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE
KNOWN AS UNIX. UNFORTUNATELY THE LAWS OF MY COUNTRY PROHIBITED THEM
FROM SELLING THESE SOFTWARES AND SO THEIR VALUABLE SOURCE CODES
REMAINED PRIVATELY HELD. UNDER A SPECIAL ARRANGMENT SOME PROGRAMMERS
FROM THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY DID ADD MORE CODES TO
THIS OPERATING SYSTEM, INCREASING ITS VALUE, BUT NOT IN ANY WAY TO
DILUTE OR DISPARAGE OUR FULL AND RIGHTFUL OWNERSHIP OF THESE CODES,
DESPITE ANY AGREEMENT BETWEEN AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH AND
THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY, WHICH AGREEMENT WE DENY AND
DISAVOW.

IN THE YEAR 1984 A CHANGE OF REGIME IN MY COUNTRY ALLOWED THE
AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CORPORATION TO MAKE PROFITS FROM
THESE SOFTWARES.

IN THE YEAR 1990 OWNERSHIP OF THESE SOFTWARES WAS TRANSFERRED TO
THE CORPORATION UNIX SYSTEM LABORATORIES. IN THE YEAR 1993 THIS
CORPORATION WAS SOLD TO THE CORPORATION NOVELL. IN THE YEAR 1994
SOME EMPLOYEES OF

NOVELL FORMED THE CORPORATION CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, WHICH

BEGAN TO DISTRIBUTE AN UPSTART OPERATING SYSTEM KNOWN AS LINUX. IN
THE YEAR 1995 NOVELL SOLD THE UNIX SOFTWARE CODES TO SCO. IN THE
YEAR 2001 OCCURRED A SEPARATION OF SCO, AND THE SCO BRAND NAME AND
UNIX CODES WERE ACQUIRED BY THE CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, AND
IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR THE CALDERA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL WAS RENAMED
SCO GROUP, OF WHICH I CURRENTLY SERVE AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

MY ASSOCIATES AND I OF THE SCO GROUP ARE THEREFORE THE FULL AND
RIGHTFUL OWNERS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARES KNOWN AS UNIX.
OUR ENGINEERS HAVE DISCOVERED THAT NO FEWER THAN SEVENTY (70) LINES
OF OUR VALUABLE AND PROPRIETARY SOURCE CODES HAVE APPEARED IN THE
UPSTART OPERATING SYSTEM LINUX. AS YOU CAN PLAINLY SEE, THIS GIVES
US A CLAIM ON THE MILLIONS OF LINES OF VALUABLE SOFTWARE CODES WHICH
COMPRISE THIS LINUX AND WHICH HAS BEEN SOLD AT GREAT PROFIT TO VERY
MANY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. OUR LEGAL EXPERTS HAVE ADVISED US THAT
OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THESE CODES IS WORTH AN ESTIMATED ONE (1) BILLION
U.S. DOLLARS.

UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY EXTRACTING OUR FUNDS FROM
THESE COMPUTER SOFTWARES. TO THIS EFFECT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE
MANDATE BY MY COLLEAGUES TO CONTACT YOU AND ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.
WE ARE PREPARED TO SELL YOU A SHARE IN THIS ENTERPRISE, WHICH WILL
SOON BE VERY PROFITABLE, THAT WILL GRANT YOU THE RIGHTS TO USE THESE
VAULABLE SOFTWARES IN YOUR BUSINESS ENTERPRISE. UNFORTUNATELY WE
ARE NOT ABLE AT THIS TIME TO SET A PRICE ON THESE RIGHTS. THEREFORE
IT IS OUR RESPECTFUL SUGGESTION, THAT YOU MAY BE IMMEDIATELY A PARTY
TO THIS ENTERPRISE, BEFORE OTHERS ACCEPT THESE LUCRATIVE TERMS,
THAT YOU SEND US THE NUMBER OF A BANKING ACCOUNT WHERE WE CAN
WITHDRAW FUNDS OF A SUITABLE AMOUNT TO GUARANTEE YOUR PARTICIPATION
IN THIS ENTERPRISE. AS AN ALTERNATIVE YOU MAY SEND US THE NUMBER
AND EXPIRATION DATE OF YOUR MAJOR CREDIT CARD, OR YOU MAY SEND TO
US A SIGNED CHECK FROM YOUR BANKING ACCOUNT PAYABLE TO "SCO GROUP"
AND WITH THE AMOUNT LEFT BLANK FOR US TO CONVENIENTLY SUPPLY.

KINDLY TREAT THIS REQUEST AS VERY IMPORTANT AND STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
I HONESTLY ASSURE YOU THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% LEGAL AND
RISK-FREE.