Dangerous Spam Scams

Spam is unsolicited email received by you. In other words, you never gave this person your email, nor did you ask them to send you this information through a third party.

In most cases, spam is simply advertisement that is sent to you without you requesting it. Retail stores will get your address from other stores or commercial organizations that you have signed up with to receive email or other services from. These email databases are one way that this information is used to make money.

Spam scams take this idea of unwanted solicitation to a whole new level. Here unsuspecting people are emailed in order to cheat them out of their own money.

Read the following email that I received and answer the questions below.

Date: 1 Dec 2004 11:36:53 -0000 From: Tom Kabo <tomkabo@operamail.com> Subject: CLASSIFIED BUSINESS PROPOSAL	All headers

EXTERNAL RELATIONS DEPATMENT, PACIFIC MINERAL DEV. CORPORATION, PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS. Dear Friend, In 1980, a foreign investor sort for approval to explore mineral resources in my country. My government subsequently granted him approval, issued with a license for a period of 20 years, which could be renewed on expiration. He later leased the license to our firm {PACIFIC MINERAL DEV. CORPORATION, MAURITIUS} on which there was a standing order issued to us to pay direct to his account with a bank, the sum six hundred thousand dollars yearly as contained in the agreement. Our government has since revoked his license as result of his inability to renew it. My firm made several attempts to reach him for the purposes of this renewal or transfer of right to us, but all our efforts to trace him proved abortive. We later discovered that the man died in testate and without leaving a relation behind. My firm has paid to his bank account a total sum of twelve million dollars since 1982.I have had discussions with the bank to refund this money but was told that it can only be paid to any of his relatives put forward by our firm. Since you have the same name with the late investor, I solicit your assistance to enable my firm make you as his next of kin. We shall file all the relevant documents necessary for this transaction and the bank would effect payment in your favor. You are free to negotiate your mode of compensation. You would also be required to send us your full names and present country of residence to enable us file for payment in your favor. Subsequently, we also intend to introduce you to the Ministry of Mineral Resources to enable us have the license renewed. Kindly reply this mail through my official email address: tomkabo@operamail.com We count on your total co-operation in this regard! Sincerely, Engr. Tom Kabo. Pacific Mineral Dev. Corporation, Mauritius. ___________________________________________________________________________ Mail sent from Brain Ltd. Free Zone Powered Site - http://www.brain.com.pk ----------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content, and is believed to be clean. Brain Ltd. Data Center, Pakistan http://www.brain.net.pk

Where has this email been sent from?
How might you determine if the information contained in this email is legitimate? Show 3 ways you can prove this.
Why might this particular email be considered more than just annoying and cause an ethical issue? Describe the ethical issue.