I was recently looking for someone to sublet my room in Venice, CA for three months over the summer. I put an advert on craigslist, just like everyone else does, and I found someone very quickly. Among the tens of emails that I got in a couple of weeks, I also received about 20-30 craigspam emails that (made it through the Gmail spam filter) and I ended up keeping.
I was reading them now and noticed that they all look pretty much the same. In particular, it looks like spammers are often girls (or uncles writing for their nephews); they are from the UK (London, especially Wood Green) or Spain, but they currently live in Africa (especially Nigeria); they also work with hiv/aids patients or network engineering; they play the piano or the organ and love hockey games. They are also obsessed with numbered lists. If you happen to be looking for a room on craigslist and fit in the description above, you better lie about yourself! Or you’ll probably be mistaken for a spammer.
I made a mish-mash of the most common and hilarious sentences that I found in my inbox. It is a very good representation of the average spam email that you are likely to get if you post an ad on craigslist these days. Here it is:
hello,
how are u doing? hope fine? if so, i appreciate it so much.
Here is all I can say about my self for now. I am 32 years old female and I work full time, Monday through Friday. I was born in UK. WOOD GREEN, but I was brought up in England . Am a medical practisional, a doctor to be precised but presently in West Africa (Nigeria) for a program which will be ending soon. I work in Mildmay , so we travel alot through this because am one of the perfect workers of the hospital , now i am now in Africa, what we do is to give medicine and to advice those with HIV/AIDS possitive , now our next contract is at the state , so i need to move back to the state.
If you ask people who know me they could tell you i`m laid back,easy going,clean,responsible and God fearing. I am not really a sports person, BUT I do love Hockey Games. I am a very out going person and fun to be with. I do play the organ and piano, and I do have BOTH piano and organ here at my house. I am very much single,the only child of my parent,my mother alive, i lost my father and my only brother years ago while i was still a kid in an auto accident. I do part time modeling;i call myself an amateur though,LOL,just something i take as a hobby and also i have a masters degree in network engineer which i bagged from the Huelva University on the Costa de la Luz in Spain. I will be looking to pick up network engineer jobs once i arrive in ur city, network engineer is my life and i love it. I`m not bringing any pets with me but i wouldn`t mind any,i love them when well kept but just dont have time to devote on them,i could have birds and fishes in my later age,to play with.
I really do appreciate the breakdown details of the house due to what you have on your posting but i will love to know more about the room and the neighbours expecially you…..
Please I will like to have answers to the following questions below:
1) I will like to have the description of the room, size, and the equipments in there.
2) I will like to have the rent fee per month plus the utilities.
3) Also I will like to know if there is any garage or parking space cos I will have my own car come over.
4) I will also be coming with some of my furniture, that is if it is allowed, like bed, book shelf cos I read a lot, shoe rank etc
5) I will also like to know if I can make an advance payment ahead my arrival that will be stand as a kind of commitment that I am truly coming over and for you to hold the room down for me.
6) If the #5 questions is YES, I will like to know the total cost for the initial move as in first month rent and if you accept deposit.
7) I will like to know the major intersection nearest your neighborhood. Like shopping mall, bus line e.t.c
I need answers to my 8 questions above as soon as possible so as to arrange for you to get the money prior for my arrival to retain and consider the room mine.. I will be making this advance payment ahead my arrival so that you can be rest assured that this is real since I am not in the state presently.
Please I will like to know the total move in cost, i will also want to see the picture of the house as I will not be able to check out the place until my arrival, so that I can make arrangement for payment prior to my arrival since I will be moving down from UK as soon as I am able to secure a comfortable room. I will be expecting to read answers to the above questions ASAP
Do u have a instant Massenger so that we could chat ok.
It will be most appreciated if you will mail me back to intimate me with the details of the rentage; like how much it will cost me, if there is anything more that needs to be done. I’ll want you to get back to me Asap to tell me more about the place because am moving to the state very soon.Please get back to me Asap because i cant just wait to hear from you.
I await your response. My regards.
