I spent a little time recently following a debate raging in the comments section of a blog. When I reached the end of the thread, I realized that, despite one particular poster's poor organization and grammar, missing words, and mulitple typos, I'd had no difficulty following his argument. For the briefest moment, this realization produced in me a thrill of alarm. In a sense, it's my job to be hypersensitive about these things. If I can ignore them with such apparent ease, what need does this world have, really, for my skillset?
Relief came moments later from a most unlikely source. I opened my e-mail and found this message claiming to be from PayPal:
It has came to our attention that your PayPal billing information are out of date. This require you to update your billing information as soon as possible.
This billing update is also a new PayPal security statement which goes according to the established norms on our terms of service (TOS) to reduce the instance of fraud on our website.
Please update your records . A failure to update your records may result on a suspension of your account.
To update your PayPal records click on the following link:[URL deleted]
This new security statement will helps us continue to offer PayPal as a secure and cost-effective payment service. We appreciate your cooperation and assistance.
The message was designed in the familiar PayPal layout and colors and featured the real logo. Had the message not been packed with verb errors and poor word choice, it might have fooled even me, suspicious soul as I am, into clicking. Instead, the blessedly bad English exposed this would-be scam.
Thank you, Phisherman, for the reassurance that language and good editing really do matter to legitimate businesses (like the real PayPal) that would never let such a message go public.
© 2008 by AnnaLisa Michalski