“Hey! It works!”
Yes, I would say this was an unethical business transaction.
According to a complaint filed with Malaysia’s Public Service and Complaint Bureau, a man paid the equivalent of $139.00 to a scamster promising to send him a device that would dramatically enlarge his penis.
When the alleged package-enhancing package arrived, it contained only…a magnifying glass.
The directions said only “Do not use in sunlight.”
Ethics observations:
- It was very wrong to fool an idiot like that and take his money.
- Rubbing it in with the directions was gratuitously cruel, if inspired.
- The reporter who wrote the story undoubtedly will say that the name of the local lawyer he consulted about the case—Mr. Kok—was a coincidence, and not a cheap joke.
- Sure it was.
________________________
Pointer: Above the Law
Source: The Star On-line
Ethics Alarms 
Ha!
This reminds me of a scam I actually saw about fifteen years ago; I actually got the direct-mail pitch. It was a “contest” – but you needed to pay something like $39 in order to “claim your GUARANTEED prize!”
The prizes included such things as a one-carat diamond ring, a two-week, all-expenses paid European vacation, and a Chevy Blazer.
No legitimate contest makes you pay to play, so I recognized it as a scam and tossed the pitch. About six months later, I saw a newspaper article about this very gambit.
I had assumed that the people running this fraud would simply take the money and disappear. I was wrong; they actually DID issue “prizes.” Chevy Blazers, in fact. The dumb bastards foolish enough to send money all got a wretchedly-made sports jacket with “Chevy” embroidered on the breast pocket.
True story.
Heard one many years ago. A fellow put an ad in a newspaper that simply said “Hurry! Don’t miss out! Send you dollar right now!”, then gave his mailing address. Supposedly, he received $10,000 before the Post Office shut him down. Explains why Barrack has a 42% approval rating, doesn’t it? Some folks (apparently 42% of them anyway) will believe anything.
I thought of that one too. That was ruled a scam…I don’t believe it was.
I’m not even sure what he did was illegal. After all, he never promised anything for that dollar.
Yeah, at least Homer Simpson promised happiness/an apology for *his* send-a-dollar scam.
Classic deceit. In fact, I may use that as an example in seminars.
I think I got that one, and I couldn’t figure how they could wriggle out with that offer. And I didn’t think of apparel.
I think the reporter that wrote the story (probably male) had too much time on his hands. Maybe he should take a trip to Bangkok for r and r.
Also the one about the guy who put an ad in the classifieds (years ago) that said, “Send $10 to get directions to make — guaranteed — $2,000 in one week.” When morons send in their $10, they got back a letter that said, “Put a classified ad in at least one newspaper that says: ‘Send $10 to get directions to to make — guaranteed — $2,000 in one week.’ It works!”
He was later shut down, too.
My great-grandmother sent 25 cents in answer to an ad in the paper that promised sage (secret!) advice on how to get through the Great Depression. The eagerly awaited letter came, she opened it to find ” Get a job” and only that, printed on a piece of paper.
Just so y’all know, hands off the Nigerian Prince needing security of 25 million…
that’s my racket and I’m close to retiring, so back off.
*to NSA busybodies who don’t love their families, that was a joke.