10 Hilariously Obvious Scam Emails (That You've Probably Been Sent)

3. YOU WILL BE ARRESTED AND JAILED

This common email claims to be from the FBI, warning that the recipient will be arrested and jailed if a payment isn't sent immediately. It's a ridiculous claim, but it has caught out gullible recipients in the past. Claiming to be from the "Anti-Terrorist and Monetary Crimes Division," a supposed FBI director states that this is a FINAL WARNING, and that an amount of money needs to be paid immediately. It's hilariously badly written, and the payment address is in Nigeria. Last we heard, that isn't quite where the FBI headquarters are located. Example:

This is the final warning you are going to receive from me, do you get me? I hope you understand how many times this message has been sent to you. We would also send a letter to the company/agency that you are working for so that they could get you fired until we are through with our investigations because a suspect is not supposed to be working for the government or any private organization. As a good Christian and a Honest man, I decided to see how i could be of help to you because i would not be happy to see you end up in jail and all your properties confiscated all because your information's was used to carry out a fraudulent transactions, i called the EFCC and they directed me to a private attorney who can help you get the process done and he stated that he will endorse and stamp the document at the sum of $98 usd only and i believe this process is cheaper for you. I pleaded on your behalf so that this agency could give you till 7/30/2012 so that you could get this process done because i learnt that several e-mails has been sent to you without getting a response from you. Bear it in mind that this is the only way that i can be able to help you at this moment or you would have to face the law and its consequences once it had befallen on you. You would make the payment through western union money transfer with the below details.