Fake product queries

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Don't knock fake products! I was once asked to sort out a problem with about 20 non-working processor boards which all had different symptoms. Turned out to be probably reject/fake static RAM chips - at that time the code ran from RAM after being copied from EPROM.

It took a while to work out, but then ka-ching!

Common fake e-mail "queries" supposedly from head of University department or mid-size business. Variant includes a list of rather specific semi-exotic items. Items mentioned not related to your business.

Have yet to figure out why they waste their time and internet bandwidth.

I get these regularly. It's a classic overpayment scam. They get you to ship something to some fake address with check or credit card payment. They will overpay the amount on some pretext.

Then ask you to credit the overpayment to some shady account. Irrevocably.

By the time the credit card or check is detected as stolen they hope to have your cash in hand. They may not care about the goods at all, especially if they're holed up in a boiler room in Nigeria or Benin.

Why is the quality so low? That, in itself, acts as a filter. If they get a response it's probably someone vulnerable. If you've got free time and confidence in your firewalls you can string them along for amusement. Maybe confidence in physical security if you take it too far.

Like that data scientist who was murdered in Chicago a couple weeks ago, for a phone and laptop, pawned for $100, they dont give a s**t about what it costs you, only the amount they can pocket.