Comments on: Inspiration from my Spam folder: Autopilot Profits

By: vh

vh — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:38:13 +0000

Excellent rant!

As a resident of a state that pioneered numbers-running for fun and profit (uhm, sorry: make that “the lottery”) and was among the first to legalize gambling casinos on the reservations, I have to agree that the people who spend the most on these scams are the ones who have the least to spend.

Really, you’d be a lot better off betting on the numbers than buying a ticket for a state lottery, because your chances of winning are significantly higher in a numbers game.

We had an elderly friend who was a laborer all his life. In his old age, he lived in poverty and could only afford a crummy studio apartment that was just a step above an SRO. When he died, his estranged wife (who had stayed friends with him–just didn’t want to cook & clean up after him) went to clean out the apartment and found stacks and stacks of old lottery tickets. He was walking over to a nearby grocery store once every day or two, and every time he went in there he bought two more lottery tickets.

Talk about your Starbucks habit: at the time lottery tix were two bucks a hit, so the old guy was spending $4.00 a day (plus tax) every day. At least a cup of sweetened coffee delivers a caffeine zing and a sugar high. With a lottery ticket all you get is a worthless piece of paper.

Now, you have to allow that the lottery DOES bring a ton of money into the state’s coffers. But it’s coming from the people who can least afford it. It amounts to an enormously regressive tax.

By: Dad

Dad — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:18:00 +0000

RacerX, you have put it so well. MrsMicah, for all the low lifes out there there are still plenty of reasonably good people. Don’t lose hope.

By: RacerX

RacerX — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:08:35 +0000

The sad thing is that it isn’t those that can afford to try, it is the people who can ill afford try.

They are bottom feeders of the worst kind.

By: Andrew Stevens

Andrew Stevens — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:23:59 +0000

People can rationalize anything. In this case, there’s an easy rationalization available. “If I don’t scam them out of their money, somebody else will (probably the lottery).” I don’t think much of this reasoning either, but it’s common enough. One of the reasons why I don’t play poker for money is that I can’t screen out those people who can’t afford to lose their money to me. I’m reluctant to judge too harshly people who don’t have my scruples in that regard, but it’s just not something I could do.

As for child molesters, this is a combination of the human ability to rationalize (“I’m not actually doing them any physical harm,” for those who aren’t doing actual physical harm anyway) and a misfiring which has caused them to be sexually attracted to childlike traits that they’re supposed to feel protective of.

By: Wooly Woman

Wooly Woman — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:53:29 +0000

Oh but easy money would be soooo nice to have hahahaha….. If it is too easy I am definitely wary, and yes, such scams are terrible. I am pretty sure these people must have no conscience whatsoever!

By: Hilda

Hilda — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:40:53 +0000

I can see your post just fine. As for those scams, I agree with Catherine, their claim of ROI is so ridiculous it’s laughable.

By: Catherine Lawson

Catherine Lawson — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:00:58 +0000

I hate those scams too Mrs M. And they do pray on the desperate and vulnerable. That’s some return on investment – half a million a month for $27. I don’t know how they get away with making such outrageous claims.