The latest trend in Spamville is as follows: “Your friend has paid us to kill you by all means. Do you want to live or die?” The answer doesn’t require a license in nuclear physics. However, the email does require just a bit of common sense, enough to recognize it as what it truly is: a poor attempt of blackmail:

The letter is written in the typical language of an everyday 419 scammer and it goes as follows:

“I felt very sorry and bad for you, that your life is going to end like this if you don’t comply, i was paid to eliminate you and I have to do it within10 days. Someone you call your friend wants you dead by all means, and the person have spent a lot of money on this, the person also came to us and told us that he wants you dead and he provided us your names, photograph and other necessary information we needed about you. If you are in doubt with this I will send you to death.

[…] Now do you want to LIVE OR DIE? It is up to you. Get back to me now if you are ready to enter deal with me, I mean life trade, who knows, and I might just spear your life, $9,000 usd is all you need to spend. You will first of all pay $3,000 usd then I will send the tape of the person that want you dead to you and when the tape gets to you, you will pay the remaining $6,000 usd. If you are not ready for my help, then I will have no choice but to carry on the assignment after all I have already being paid before now.”

I don’t know why, but it doesn’t seem to me like this scam is really going to catch on.