Today I am talking about a form of email spam that makes me cringe every time I open my mailbox. I was inspired by Chris Cree who, frustrated by the rudeness of a link building spammer, posted his email reply on his blog, warning against One Wrong Way to Get Links.
As all website/blog owners who disclose their email addresses I have my share of link building spam (of all kinds). Then I get all types of review requests and let’s not forget the press releases of all kinds, which are sent to my email address because I run a PR company (PR, for many, is reduced at press releases submissions) and certainly because I have a moderately influential blog.
Blowing my own horn: some important Web figures visit eWritings when the topic calls to their attention. They are silent witnesses most of the time, but they also engage in the conversation when controversy strikes. So knowing that I have some important readers, I was surprised to learn about “one of the top blogging experts in the world” via an unsolicited bulk email came into my mailbox early this morning.
His name is Rob Benwell. (Rob Who?!) Before diving into the rant, I have to note that it is not Benwell spamming me. The person signs “Katrina Blogging Guru’s.” Apparently she is trying to sell Benwell’s blogging secrets through her affiliate links. Following these links, the unsuspecting reader will eventually land on bloggingincome.net – an ugly site, full of cheap sales pitches and even cheaper graphics. Then a couple of make-believe testimonials will add to the brain washing process… A special offer field, in red, lets you know that if you don’t enroll into Benwell’s program TODAY, you will miss the chance of a lifetime. Tomorrow… the red field will still be there, with a slight date change though.
Leaving aside that the site could make top pick of the month at Web Pages That Suck, I fear that Benwell is indeed successful in its endeavor. Not that one needs a trained brain to smell the scam, but common sense is also a rarity. I also fear that Benwell’s audience has the common sense of a hog and the brain size of a bb. Like it or not, the scammer gets richer while his victims are left with nothing but the option to search online for forums where other misfortunate dim-witted money diggers dive into self pity discourses.
To a reader with a healthy vision over what blogging is all about, the content of the following letter will seem obnoxious. Please note that the purple comments are my own. Take them with a grain of salt – and for you bb brains who by stroke of fate land on my website, my message cannot get clearer than this: if you receive such an email letter, click delete. Learn to appreciate the time and effort someone put here, trying to save you from such a fate (follow links, bb, or else you will not understand what I am talking about).
Hi there, – hi there yourself, at least have the courtesy to address me politely
If you’re interested in making money from blogs and driving thousands of free visitors to your websites then this may very well be the most important email you’ll read all year. – what a stroke of luck! I really have no idea how to drive traffic to my blog, and to be honest, I have been expecting your email the whole year. What took you so long?
Why? – good question.
Because a young guy from the UK has just blown the lid off all the blogging game – AGAIN! – and how haven’t I heard about this before? But don’t give me any solid proof yet – like an article in The New York Times – I do believe in online miracles.
His name is Rob Benwell and he’s making up to $34,244 per month from blogging. – Rob Who? What do you know? The guy has a predestined name too!
The best news is that he wants to share his exact “system he uses with YOU. – I will not even ask why me. I understand that I was chosen by this blogging god and I am very thankful.
He has some CAN’T MISS BONUSES for First Movers, so make sure you head over there now to get everything he’s offering for your Blogging success:
questionable link
Rob is one of the top blogging experts in the world. – Silly me! I thought Liz Strauss was, I thought Robert Scoble was… or Chris Cree… But no! It’s Rob Benwell! And his blog link is?
He’s authored two best selling ebooks that have been read by over 50,000 people and has even spoke on stage in front of hundreds of people sharing ALL of his proven blogging strategies. – again I think this is pretty generous. I’d be more than glad to add myself to the number of brainwashed idiots who believe in everything.
His latest blogging ebook looks like it’s going to be another best seller as it’s ALREADY selling really quick. – I should hurry up to buy it, I don’t want the ebook to go out of print!
Now last time after a few thousand copies were sold he jacked up the price as he didn’t want too many people flooding the marketplace with his strategies. – how many people did you say? 50000? Yeah, that’s nothing.
Rumours are that he is doing this again so you may not have long. – Of course, as I said… I hurry.
Go here NOW: OK, OK… I’ll go
questionable link different from above – sure, I do want malware on my PC
Here’s just a few of the things Rob is going to share with you:
- How One Dumb Little Blog Can Earn Over $3,947 Per Month – honest to God, I know dumb little blogs that make much more than that. Take Techcrunch for example. Oh, OK… Techcrunch is not little…
- The 5 Biggest Secrets That Guarantees A Home Run Style Success For Any Blog You Create In 2009 – this is already too much to bear!
- The Most Successful Step-By-Step Blueprint For Long Term Blogging Success – good, coz’ I was really tired of reading Maki’s professional advice.
- How To Create Real Blogs In Just A Few Clicks – yes, I am sure this is possible without scrapping software
- REVEALED: The Secrets To Building A Blog Empire That Earns Over $250,000 Per Year – other than hard work and solid funds for advertising?
- 6 Surefire Promotion Techniques That Are Driving 36,313 Visitors To Just One Of My Blogs Every Month. – does paying top diggers count?
- How Any Business Or Individual Can Use Blogging For More Exposure And Gain An Instant ‘PHD’ Credibility Status – does it come in print for me to frame it?
- The One Technique No One Else Is Telling You About On How To Build A Multi Million Dollar Blogging Empire
Getting excited?? – oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
You should be plus there’s a ton more stuff all explained on the website. – I like the “ton more stuff” idea. It really adds value to this unbelievable offer!
Just go there now… – so when should I go there?
questionable link again…
Regards – re-whats?
Katrina – Blogging Guru’s – what am I missing here?
PS. Rob’s also got a shocking case study on the site that’s really A MUST READ.
It shows how he put his techniques up against some Guru’s latest release and revealed his SHOCKING UNCENSORED RESULTS. – I am already convinced.
Isn’t this email a clear proof that email spammers are stupid? Sending such a message to a professional blogger is an offense. Let’s assume just for the sake of the argument that Benwell was no scammer, wouldn’t such an email seriously damage his reputation?
Unfortunately even genuine businesses follow this email model. No long ago I had to reply to a startup that sent me a “Hi there” email asking me to join the network. The text was poorly written, full of clichés and poor sales pitches, with too many links and too many “go there NOW” highlights. A PS was, of course, present and the length even surpassed the one of this entry. This is one of those cases when starting an email campaign without PR advice was a bad move. The startup corrected its approach, and signups boosted considerably.
Let this be a lesson for all of you spammers and scammers: if you are to spam, don’t be stupid. Do it with style and we’ll probably forgive you.
I think spammers are inevitable in today’s globalized technological age. People want to do reach out to their audience and this is a great tool to communicate.
Wenbin, if you believe spam is “a great tool to communicate” you are in the wrong business.
I simply have to share that the more engrossed I got into this post, the harder I giggled. Thanks for today’s first giggle. You’re my hero!
You go girl!
*Hugs!*
Im really glad to have come across this article, these email spams are a real nuissance , and even spam filter can’t filter them out, most nonsensical and may contain potential virus. Nice artilce!
Thanks MA – I had fun writing it too.
Palma Airport if email spam bothers you, what makes you think I like link spam? Yes, link spam – like keywords in your signature…
Mig,
Got a chuckle over this.
As you say, it’s amazing to me that some legitimate businesses spam. I have been spammed by Robert Allen or people representing him for years both in e-mail and by phone. I bought a very expensive program that turned to be junk. I finally got my money back and asked them to take me off their mailing list. I have made that request time and time again over the years—unsubscribing from e-mails and telling phone callers to take me off their lists. But I keep getting spam e-mails and unwanted phone calls.
One of the main things I try to pound into people’s heads is to not be a spammer or act like one. But its everyone’s first impulse to go down that path.
Maybe if we all publish the names of the prolific spammers, they’d get the message that their spam is a blight on our inboxes. Or maybe a few bb brains would wake up before replicating the process. (Cute term, BTW. I may have to adopt it.)
LOL, I would say; “Lemme At Em Baby, I will damn them to hell for bothering you!”, but fortunately, you have cast them down with the Sodomites effectively better than I could.
I would offer these alternative extrapolations on their rather Cretan “cold Calling” techniques. (and if anyone posts an email I ever wrote that resembles these I will die). Here are some other remarks that are more then deserved by these bottom feeders
Hi there, – I am not “There” Yet
If you’re interested in making money from blogs and driving thousands of free visitors to your websites then this may very well be the most important email you’ll read all year. – Far surpassing your confirmed new position with Reuters as lead journalist!
Why? – Why what? Why did you email me?
Because a young guy from the UK has just blown the lid off all the blogging game – AGAIN! – Oh no! You mean there is no lid on the blogosphere?
His name is Rob Benwell and he’s making up to $34,244 per month from blogging. –
But I don’t want to sell porn on my corporate blog or sell drug paraphenalia to small children!
The best news is that he wants to share his exact “system he uses with YOU. – Then why did he not go on Oprah to tell me about it while I eat bon bons and stare enthralled at how many presents oprah gives her audience?
He has some CAN’T MISS BONUSES for First Movers, so make sure you head over there now to get everything he’s offering for your Blogging success:
Should I go to his double wide or catch him at Buffy’s Boom Boom Room at happy hour – oh, I see, follow this sneaky looking link!
Rob is one of the top blogging experts in the world. – This is ridiculous, everyone knows I am the worlds greatest blogger!
He’s authored two best selling ebooks that have been read by over 50,000 people and has even spoke on stage in front of hundreds of people sharing ALL of his proven blogging strategies. – But has he ever “spoken” to anyone?
His latest blogging ebook looks like it’s going to be another best seller as it’s ALREADY selling really quick. – If it is selling that “quickly” I hope the servers are as powerful as those of Powerset!
Now last time after a few thousand copies were sold he jacked up the price as he didn’t want too many people flooding the marketplace with his strategies. – I am not sure I want to buy from anyone who jacks prices up?”
Rumours are that he is doing this again so you may not have long. – You mean he is going to jack again OMG!
Go here NOW: I will not say where Rob should Go.
Here’s just a few of the things Rob is going to share with you:
* How One Dumb Little Blog Can Earn Over $3,947 Per Month – Is this person calling my blog dumb and little? I may have to cast them to hell too Mig!
* The 5 Biggest Secrets That Guarantees A Home Run Style Success For Any Blog You Create In 2009 – Why does no one use the Touchdown as a symbol of instant success?
* The Most Successful Step-By-Step Blueprint For Long Term Blogging Success – Is writing more than once a week involved?
* How To Create Real Blogs In Just A Few Clicks – Hmm, does this mean I can have 100 blogs that I do not have time to write for?
* REVEALED: The Secrets To Building A Blog Empire That Earns Over $250,000 Per Year – Ok, this must not be the $40,000 a year little blog right?
* 6 Surefire Promotion Techniques That Are Driving 36,313 Visitors To Just One Of My Blogs Every Month. – Hell, I can ask my friends at StumbleUpon to vote and get tjhat many! LOL
* How Any Business Or Individual Can Use Blogging For More Exposure And Gain An Instant ‘PHD’ Credibility Status – Not a single one that does not know the difference between singular and plural.
* The One Technique No One Else Is Telling You About On How To Build A Multi Million Dollar Blogging Empire
Getting excited?? – I am, getting excited about damning Rob to hell after all, now I see why Mig got so mad
You should be plus there’s a ton more stuff all explained on the website. –Is it written in English or did Rob go to Elance and hire someone from Kashmir to write it?
Just go there now… – Where? I told you my name is not there dammit!
questionable link again…
Regards – re-whats?
Katrina – Blogging Guru’s – what am I missing here?
PS. Rob’s also got a shocking case study on the site that’s really A MUST READ.
It shows how he put his techniques up against some Guru’s latest release and revealed his SHOCKING UNCENSORED RESULTS. – I am shocked that Rob could not afford affiliates with an IQ above 40
Really, I wonder how many people actually give these people money. If you are one of them, please write to me and I will not only give you all my secrets, but Mihaela’s too, and for only $14.95 PER MONTH! hahaha
Always,
Phil
I get so many of these now, it`s ridiculous. Love how you dissected the email though.
I usually delete after reading the first line.
LOL. I totally agree. These people are friggin’ retarded. Even famous bloggers like John Chow and Darren Rowse don’t build an “empire”.
i’m writing today to tell you site is nice. want to be frendz and trade linkz? haha. just joking…i love the vintage ad you used in the graphic. great post!
Bwahaha, thanks for the belly laugh with your commentaries, Mig
It’s hard to believe anyone could fall for this, but I guess one never knows how gullible some might be.
Even though it looks that email spamming still work, it is a game number … I do not think those guys will keep sending there spammy mail unless they are getting some revenue doing that
That is very fun.I like this blog.
The graphic is hilarious! Emails like those remind me of the banner ads and pop ups that say something like you are the 1,000,001 visitor today and you have won some amazing prize you can only claim by clicking the link within the next few minutes.
@some – I hope you had fun reading the entry and the other comments too. As I see from your signature links, I suppose that my next entry should be about comment spam and comment ethics. I see that, although I have a warning that I delete comments that have keywords in signature links some of you still don’t get the message. This time I only disable your links. Next time I will not even publish the comment, no matter how valuable.
These are just fraud…I get at least 10 guys daily, who try to convince me for Lottery and prizes. I just block them and tell them not to contact me again and also put them into spam.
They are both spam and fraud. You have a good attitude towards them – I usually do the same thing. Only that this email reminded me too much of a legitimate format used by many other businesses. I had to warn against it.
I hope you understand why I deleted your link.
I too think most spammers are made of crap. Not only do they waste the bandwidth of the internet of legit users, but they waste our time, money and storage space. It’s almost worse than snail mail spam because it’s virtually effortless to blast emails these days with technology.
Thanks for the post – it was most informative and entertaining. Will continue to read.
Lisa
Spammers use something familiar to arouse our interest. Sometimes they play on fear and greed too, like telling us that our bank accounts have been hacked, we are facing possible identity theft, or there is huge amount of money for us, etc.
Shaw’s last blog post..Third Confirmed Dead From Avian Bird Flu
Spam is amazing. In an unprecedented and astonishing effort, junk email reaches almost everybody online.
All it takes to get on the mailing lists used by spammers is an email address. There is no need to sign up for anything or ask for emails. The spam just starts coming, out of nowhere, apparently without any plan, and without a reason. It invades email addresses that are never used.
Sharon’s last blog post..Best Types Of Aerobic Exercise For Fat Loss
Spammers have programs which spider through web pages, looking for email addresses, e.g. email addresses contained in mail to: HTML tags [those you can click on and get a mail window opened].
Some spammers even target their mail based on web pages.i ‘ve discovered a web page of mine appeared in Yahoo as some spammer harvested email addresses from each new page appearing in Yahoo and sent me a spam regarding that web page.
Lyndsey’s last blog post..44th President to Be Sworn In on Tuesday January 20,2008
oops, we have a missing ‘t’
“Unfortunately even genuine businesses follow this email model. No long ago I had to reply to a startup that send me a “Hi there” email asking me to join the network”
Quick, add the missing ‘t’ else someone will notice and cheekily point it out, then smile smuggly that he has helped a notable blogger with a typo and bask in the glory… hahahahahaha! or should that be hahaha! or…
Nice write up though, I can never quite believe how blatant these people are, they are audacious and arrogant but like most things they get away with it because they pander to peoples greed or desperate wants.
One thing I don’t get is this parody between spammer and victim, I mean if people are gullible enough to fall for such fakery and blatant conning, isn’t that their fault not the spammers? After all you would need to be in denial as you read that spam, to fall for the diabolical selling technique. Its like people on such as ebay who put their ad in very large and colourful writing and then centre it all… because that ‘will’ make you buy it, won’t it.
the spammers have obviously read a cheap spammer email on how to spam and make millions of “dollars $$$$” it never seems to be pounds sterling does it.
As you have said, you would mind if they’d made the effort to wear sheeps clothing but to step into your life dressed as a wolf in wolves clothing is unforgivable.
Thanks for the heads up! It happens to the best of us. LOL.
Anyway, can we truly blame the people who fall for such scams for being innocent, or ignorant, or plain stupid? Or should we blame the predators? Tricky question…