SPAMS WITH THE HIGHEST RATINGS IN MY E-MAIL INBOX

Email spams can be described in two simple words "junk e-mail". Junk as they are, which are now a common fare in everyone's email inbox, but they can rob and con you and are dangerous, malware embedded, links you to dangerous sites if you heed them. Sometimes before branding them as spam in my Yahoo Mail inbox, I took the time to read them, and found out that they are becoming more creative each day. If you have read my previous post, "One of My Fave Spams ..." you will find that some are amusing to the point of beguiling the ignorance in us. Presently these spams cluttered my inbox in various prose and forms. As usual, no point in being irritated, so, I took the time to read, 'appreciate', and research them in various anti spam sites.
Here's what I found out:

THE "NIGERIAN" E-MAIL SCAMS
The Bait: Con artists claim to be officials, businesspeople, or the surviving spouses of former government honchos in Nigeria or another country whose money is somehow tied up for a limited time. They offer to transfer lots of money into your bank account if you will pay a fee or "taxes" to help them access their money. If you respond to the initial offer, you may receive documents that look "official." Then they ask you to send money to cover transaction and transfer costs and attorney's fees, as well as blank letterhead, your bank account numbers, or other information. They may even encourage you to travel to the country in question, or a neighboring country, to complete the transaction. Some fraudsters have even produced trunks of dyed or stamped money to try to verify their claims.
The Catch: The emails are from crooks trying to steal your money or your identity. Inevitably, in this scenario, emergencies come up, requiring more of your money and delaying the "transfer" of funds to your account. In the end, there aren't any profits for you, and the scam artist vanishes with your money. The harm sometimes can be felt even beyond your pocketbook: according to State Department reports, people who have responded to "pay in advance " solicitations have been beaten, subjected to threats and extortion, and in some cases, murdered.
Your Safety Net: If you receive an email from someone claiming to need your help getting money out of a foreign country, don't respond. If you've lost money to one of these schemes, call your local Secret Service field office. Local field offices are listed in the Blue Pages of your telephone directory.

FOREIGN LOTTERIES
The Bait: Emails boasting enticing odds in foreign lotteries. You may even get a message claiming you've already won! You just have to pay to get your prize or collect your winnings.
The Catch: Most promotions for foreign lotteries are phony. The scammers will ask you to pay "taxes," "customs duties," or fees – and then keep any money you send." Scammers sometime ask you to send funds via wire transfer. Don't send cash or use a money-wiring service because you'll have no recourse if something goes wrong. In addition, lottery hustlers use victims' bank account numbers to make unauthorized withdrawals or their credit card numbers to run up additional charges. And one last important note: participating in a foreign lottery violates U.S. law.
Your Safety Net: Skip these offers. Don't send money now on the promise of a pay-off later.
For more spams update, visit:
Hoax Busters.org
OnGuard OnLine
Snopes.com