The trend of receiving news headlines as spam subject lines is nothing new -- I've been getting them for years. They're the regular sort of pill, penny stock and love aid pieces of junk mail sent with subjects that are meant to cause you to actually open the mail. Boring and annoying, but nothing innovative.
However, for the last couple weeks I've been receiving spam with made-up, but possibly true, headlines in the subject line. Just random enough to be real, yet too over-the-top to not have been headline news. Even though I'm not gullible to open the spam, I am gullible enough to question the truth of the headline. And then, I find myself sadly entering this faux news into Google to see if there is any truth.
While I'm sure these are automated using real news headlines and keywords, I love picturing some spammer trying to think these up.
Here are some of my favorites:
- Barenaked Ladies Die of Cocaine Overdose [1]
- Bill Clinton Found Hung in Bathroom [2]
- JFK Memoir Reveals Illegitimate Heir
- Miss Universe assassinated on plane home
- Police Open Fire on Elderly in Iowa
- Pepsi Sues Coke for $892mm
- Boy 4, Pulls Off Sister's Ear
- Heart Transplant Kid Kills 10, Shots Himself
- Michael Jackson Dies in Bed
- Rat Poison Found in Water Bottles
- Catholic Church Condemns Metrosexuality [3]
- Woman Loses Leg in Shock Attack [4]
[1] There was some truth in this one: Steven Page, the singer/guitarist of the band was charged with cocaine possession a couple days ago. The entire Barenaked Ladies collective was not found dead, though. Considering their music, it's an easy mistake.
[2] This is a headline Bill Clinton would probably write himself and he wouldn't be referring to suicide.
[3] This turned out to be an Onion headline.
[4] My favorite, for the clearly blinded-by-the-light mishearing of the word "shark."
