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Greetings, friend. Do you wish to look as happy as me? Well, you've got the power inside you right now. So use it. And send $1 to Happy Dude, 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield. Don't delay; eternal happiness is just $1 away!
5 replies
Greetings, friend. Do you wish to look as happy as me? Well, you've got the power inside you right now. So use it. And send $1 to Happy Dude, 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield. Don't delay; eternal happiness is just $1 away!
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I get requests for money all the time because I used to review one-click/free donate style charities. People seem to actually think that if they send me a badly-written (it's NEVER well-written) story of woe, I'll send them money or goods or whatever.
I always thought they must be stupid to think I'd fall for it. Apparently, I was wrong...they just targeted the wrong audience.
There's a community drive for a sick kid near me and I haven't given to that either even though it's almost certainly real, not because I don't care, but because I feel more secure and less prone to favouritism if I give to a charity that would cover this kid and others like him instead. That way when there's another sick and uninsured kid in a few months, nobody can say, \"Well you gave that kid $100 so you'd better give mine $100\" and accuse me of who-knows-what-kind of discrimination if I don't.
Plus, um, really...there should be universal, single-payer, government health care for all of these pregnancies and kids anyway. I'd rather pay it by taxes. None of my friends back home in Canada have to live with guilt and awkwardness about a kid in their playgroup being untreated for lack of insurance...
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@kaceetheconsumer: Gee... Nice of you want to raise MY taxes to assuage YOUR guilt. What a big heart you have, despite the fact that your graciousness will take away from my own ability to keep my family fed, support the charities I choose, etc...
If you want to help sick kids who are in need, donate to the Shriners. They run Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, and many other hospitals around the country that provide medical care for free to those families that need it. The Shriners burn hospital in Houston was closed due to hurricane damage, and they may not be able to repair/open it up since donations are down.
As Will Rogers once said: \"I can remember way back when a liberal was generous with his own money\"
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@SacraBos: Cute but guess what, while you buy food and bibles for your family, millions of people needlessly die through lack of affordable healthcare. Obviously it would be nice if you and people like you gave enough to prevent that from happening, but clearly you've chosen the wrong charities. God willing, your freedom to make the wrong decision will expire soon.
@SteelersAreGo: Ever heard of a thing called \"natural selection\"?
See, it's this funny thing that keeps overpopulation under control that medicine is trying to defeat. Thanks to natural selection giving me superior intellect, I have been awarded healthcare.
@SacraBos: Unless you make huuuuuge dollars and don't pay much for your insurance, any rise in your taxes is more than likely going to be less than you'd save on copays and non-covered things, especially taken over a lifetime. That's been shown time and time again in comparing Canadian health care costs to American health care costs.
So you'd probably have more money in your pocket that way. Feel free to thank a generous liberal sometime.
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Can't she be prosecuted for this? I mean you can be prosecuted for wire and mail fraud, you should be for this also.
@gqcarrick: I don't think so, she didn't solicit money for a purpose. Had she said the money was specifically for the care of the child or for any specific purpose, then she could be. But if people just read it and send money to the PO Box, then tough luck.
She never went and solicited people directly for money, it's bad taste and crass, but you can't put people in jail for that. If you could, HOW MANY would be in jail now?
@sanjsrik: Yes you can. It's called \"froud\"(It's a Simpsons reference). It's also called \"theft by deception\". In the case of the internet, it's a Federal Crime called \"wire froud\".
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@HasADealForYou_GitEmSteveDave: family guy. when nigel burns down the bar. \"This is a classic textbook case of... Fraoud\" sorry :)
@Fanboy1217: Damn! I thought it was Hutz.
@sanjsrik: From the article:
She posted a P.O. Box, to which readers could send gifts or money
She never solicited actively for money. She never said, \"give me money for my baby and myself.\" What people \"donated\" they did unsolicited.
She lied via the web. that's it.
ah great she's from Mokena. That's like 6 miles from me.
This is why i don't give to people on the street. i'd rather just donate to foundations, i donate my old clothes to Goodwill/Salvation Army and money goes to St. Jude. Then I know that it's going to help more than just one person (who may or may not need it). Working in downtown chicago kind of makes you think twice about giving to people on the street.
Also... GO SOX!
@Fanboy1217: I suggested Shriners, but St. Judes is good, too.
@TripleTheOrder_GitEmSteveDave: I had a guy in San Fran follow me and my friends for a couple of blocks, singing away. He knew the words, could carry a tune, and we showed our appreciation for the entertainment. Much better than simple demands for money based on false pretences.
@Fanboy1217: I don't either. BUTTTT, I will pay for a performance. I once had a guy walk up to me and my GF at the time in Newark Penn Station and he had an armful of papers/documents and started off on a whole story about how someone in his family was ill and had AIDS and started rattling off things and how he had to show up to the address on this document to handle a court matter, etc... On the off chance it wasn't true, the \"performance\" he gave was more than worth the few dollars I gave him. He went the full 9 yards.
To be fair, she never solicited money. Feel free to make fun of her, excoriate her, whatever, but she did not solicit donations on behalf of her dolly.
@anajay: You are wrong she most certainly did solicit money for her fake pregnancy. Admittedly she was going for her big scam pay day by getting BlogHer ads on her site and promoting traffic to her scam by posing as other legit bloggers, and leaving comments about how she had just donated to \"this sweet sister in christ and please visit her site and pray for her.' Luckily the scam was uncovered before she got her ad revenue check which would have amounted to well over $10,000
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I'm still concerned that there might be a real child encased in that plastic doll. Is she still accepting donations?
i can't believe she didn't get a picture of a real baby. this kind of shotty workmanship is why all of our decent scamming jobs are going overseas to Nigeria.
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@craptastico: @craptastico:
Well it must be really difficult to just find a photo of a newborn baby...
[Tip : without even trying it, I would recommend you have \"safe search\" on.]
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA SO STUPID. WHY MAY I ASK WOULD YOU GIVE ANYONE MONEY THAT YOU MET ONLINE??? WHY?????? HOW DUMB IS THE ONLINE WORLD?
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@Skankingmike: It was called YouTube audio preview :( RIP.
Now if only consumerist were to steal it...
@yoni242: Hey it's not like she was from Nigeria or some other scary country, she was from the good ole U. S. and A.
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She didn't solicit but she did set up a PO Box for 'well-wishers'. Doesn't take much reading between the lines for that one.
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I am taking up donations for a tragic condition. My left foot is very flaky looking, as if it is all dried out. The nails are uneven and slightly yellowish. There is a large corn on the side of my big toe. Please send contributions to PO Box...
Of course this will illicit a big negative response, but in my experiences, no one is more gullible than a highly religious person. It seems most of the people taken in by this hoax were sent over from religious sites. I worked at a christian school for years. About 90% of the employees there were raised in highly religious christian schools as well. I had never seen so many people wrapped up in money pyramids, scams, etc. A lot of them honestly believed anything they heard. One guy ordered 2 food processors from tv because it said it could chop cement. Any sob letter that came across the internet was immediately believed and prayers were sent out (and donations). Just stick \"God\" in front of whatever you are trying to sell, and they were in like flint.
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@Saboth:
The highly religious being gullible actually makes sense when you think about it. Years of being conditioned to believe and not question in religious matters is going to leave a lot of people unable to question other things as well. It is a slippery slope once skepticism creeps in -- the subconscious knows this and makes certain people extremely credulous so that they avoid examining their basic beliefes.
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@Saboth: highly PSEUDORELIGIOUS person. a truly 'religious' Christian, one who follows as closely as they can the teachings of Christ (NOT the pope or your pastor) would be very cautious about what they did with their money (just read some of Christ's parables and you'll see where I get this from).
You sound like someone who's been highly disillusioned by pseudoXians. I'm sorry, but they did not, and DO not represent Christ. For that image, reread the 4 Gospels, then we'll talk again, mmm'kay?
@banmojo: That's mighty presumptuous. I truly hate it when people disavow the faith of their peers, if these Christians were doing something truly awful that would be one thing but being trusting generous, and yes, a bit gullible people? And you decide that makes them bad Christians? How unchristian of you.
@Saboth: Most of the blogs that were supporting her were pro-choice and/or very religious in nature. I believe this woman was talking about how she had refused to abort her baby, etc. on her blog.
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It is great to know that so many people still can care about the well being of a stranger.
It is sad that so many of these strangers in need turn out to be scam artists. Scam artists who draw down the capital of goodwill available for people in real need.
It is remarkable that so many people believe what they read online and are overwhelmed by the need to crack open their wallets and send money to people who spin a great yarn.
I would like you all to send me $1 to cover my costs in coming up with these observations... Please send to 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield...
Actually, she solicited gifts in a very covert way: She wrote a blog post saying that since so many people had been asking for an address, she finally gave in and got a p.o. box. Then she said, \"I am in no way asking for anything, but if you want to send cards, etc.\"
Then...she left HERSELF comments on that post, using profiles she had set up previously. \"Kelli\" was not only a frequent commenter, but also her supposed friend in real life who was present at the \"birth\" and was giving the details to another blogger who wrote all the updates.
I'm sorry, but posting comments on your own blog, saying things like \"I am sending something your way\", \"check your mail\", etc, is the same thing.
She has SERIOUS mental issues and I know for a fact she ran an adoption scam several years ago, as well. Imagine learning the baby you're adopting doesn't exist. She has hurt many people, both in person and online. She's a horrible person.
truthaboutaprilrose.blogspot.com
@ApolloMarcus: It's remarkable. She seems to have really thought out this scam, and she used some horribly skillful social engineering to play the perfect martyr. I highly suspect she's a sociopath to be able to take something like this so far, and execute it so well. It's surprising she just settles for a realistic doll after setting up such an elaborate con.
Her apology in the article is what really is chilling. Most people would be too anguished with shame to even confront reporters or face the bloggers. She instead delivers a cogent apology. I'm half-wondering if she's going to try to get a tip jar going to pay for her legal fees/bail.
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So...you're saying don't donate to the Consumerist Tip Jar?
@Smashville: Shame! You know that if you don't give, Consumers Union won't be able to wire the money to the airline in Nigeria to buy Ben a ticket home.
It is amazing what people do now a days. It makes me think about the people on a street corner asking for money. Makes me think are they really homeless? What are they using my money for? I perfer to offer food directly so atleast I know they can't use the money for something else. I feel much better that way.
What's the expression, on the Internet, no one knows that you're a dog?
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Don't post a picture of a fake baby. Then you can start scamming people.
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According to the video news story at the site linked to this story, she had been pregnant and she did lose the child during pregnancy before she started blogging. She apparently started blogging to try to deal with her loss. I can actually see how this might have happened, you talk about yourself, and write about the ordeal that recently happened as if it were happening now. Fastforward a few months, and the blog becomes popular and in your emotional state you forget to tell people that this happened xx months ago and you are still emotionally deal with it.
While I am not excusing the actions, based on the short video clip, I don't think that she did anything wrong, other than trying to pass her doll off as a baby.
I hope that this woman has a close support group and is receiving some grief counseling as she recently lost a baby, and is obviously having a hard time dealing with it. Throw in negative publicity for scamming people, and you have someone who may think of doing something extreme.
Bah.. if you have money burning a hole in your pocket, you're much better giving it to The (Amazing) Gimme A Buck Guy.
The site hasn't been updated in a few years, but he's one of the original \"give me money!\" websites on the web. Check his domain registration date.
She didn't just show a doll as her baby, she claimed her baby had some disease and was stillborn, or died after birth, or something like that.
A lot of her money making came from clickable ads and money given to other charities. There isn't much that she can give back.
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I think I should buy Ben a fake baby to wave about as he does his telethons - maybe force him to partner up with Sally Struthers while he's at it.
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Last year, BBC America showed an amazingly bizarre documentary about reborn dolls called \"My Fake Baby\". Catch it in reruns if you can.
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Those are the scariest dolls I've ever seen and I fear for the mental stability of anyone who want a fake baby that looks EXACTLY like a real baby.
@wallspray: It's no more creepy than going out to kill a live animal then having it stuffed so you can hang it on a wall or something.
These dolls are often used in film and photography, usually in situations where action will put the real child at risk, or as a stand-in since real infants can be used only for very limited amounts of time in a day.
@wallspray: Dear God I hate dolls.
@wallspray: But in fairness, and in all due respect to Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!), newborn babies look terribly ugly. You can see the potential in them, to be kinda cute later on, but at that time, its all loose skin, weirdly contorted bodies, and ET necks. Then they start molting skin. It is only a few weeks into their lives that they start looking sooo adorable and kissable. I've taken pics of my nephew at few hours old, and a few months old, and every time i compare them, im like \"how could someone so beautiful have come from something so horrifying?\".
I am sure my wife will be extremely pissed of at me whenever we have a baby, because i'll look at the baby and will invariably say something like \"OH GOD ITS SO UGLY. MY EYES!! ZESE GOGGLES, ZAY DO NOTHING!!!\"
@wallspray: Those things freak me the hell out. Talk about the uncanny valley!
@wallspray: There was a BBC America special about it. You might be able to find the video somewhere. [www.truenorthproductions.co.uk]
It's called My Fake Baby
It was sad and creepy.
@wallspray: I'm told that some people commission one to look like a baby that's died. Part of me hopes that's a myth, but part of me thinks that's so fantastically Victorian that it makes sense.
@wallspray: As I tell my co-workers, I do \"gush\" over children and babies. But only ones I have a \"connection\" with. So my relatives and neighbors babies, I adore. My co-workers kids kids....well, I feel the same I do about a picture in a picture frame. As long as it's healthy, I really don't have any emotion either way looking at a photo.
As for those dolls, I agree. The nice thing about babies it they get cuter as they grow. Those look like a snap shot from a nursery right after the birth, when even Bill Cosby said, \"My wife gave birth to a lizard. It changed colors. I asked the doctor if we could put it back in and let it cook a little longer\".