Scott and the team tackle spam emails promising millions, culminating in a brilliant prank call to a real phone number from one of the scam messages — with hilarious consequences.
The show opens with discussion of the ubiquitous phishing emails that were flooding inboxes daily in 2007. The team shares examples, including one particularly absurd offer to buy a horse if the recipient sends money first, and another promising $1.5 million from “Secofi Emmanuel” supposedly based in Germany with the help of a Russian businessman.
Scott reads out the full text of one especially elaborate scam email, which claims money has been moved under a new partner from London and offers compensation for past assistance, complete with a phone number and instructions to contact an attorney. Deciding to investigate, Scott actually calls the number from the email to see if anyone answers — and what unfolds is a priceless exchange with a bemused and increasingly frustrated man on the other end who has no idea what Scott is talking about.
Scott adopts the voice of “Bruno” and keeps insisting on speaking to “Secofi Emmanuel,” asking repeatedly where his money is and whether payments can be made in UK pounds instead of dollars. The man on the phone denies sending any email, insists he’s the wrong person to contact, and grows more exasperated as Scott persists with increasingly absurd questions: asking if they need to speak in code, threatening to tell “Mr Putin,” and repeatedly demanding to know “Where’s my money?” The call ends with the bewildered recipient simply hanging up in frustration while Scott continues chasing him for his promised fortune.
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