As if the scam of global warming isn't enough, the mythical manmade malady is now being used as part of an e-mail spam campaign likely to free concerned environmentalists of their hard-earned dollars.

Of course, as reported by NewsBusters Wednesday, it's not in the least bit difficult to con these folks to begin with.

As such, authorities better squelch this Internet scheme quickly, or Al Gore is going to have even fewer folks available to buy his carbon credits.

As reported by Wednesday, Salon's Andrew Leonard received the following cautionary e-mail message (emphasis added):

Dear Sir/Madam,

Random Selection as Development/Campaign Partner.

We hereby notify you that you have been selected as a partner in the World Campaign against Global Warming.

In this program, you will be required to organize a pro-environmental campaign against global warming and environmental pollution in your area/community with the funds provided to you by the World Foundation against Global Warming.

Note that this selection is subject to your acceptance and consent.

If you choose to accept this offer, you shall be awarded the sum of $610,000 and $950,000 for Individual and Corporate participation respectively. This sum is intended to facilitate your campaign.

Kindly respond, stating your acceptance to this notification and we shall give you more information on this program. Contact Mr. Zeeshan Ashraf on: zeeraf12@aol.com

The Earth is our habitation and we are responsible for it.

Faithfully,

Paul Brendan McGee
Our World Foundation.
Program Coordinator,
Campaign against Global Warming

www.ourworldfoundation.org.uk
www.globalwarming.org

Obviously, you've all received similar messages from folks claiming that relatives or spouses died leaving them millions of dollars which they need your help in moving out of their country.

The goal of course is for you to give them financial account information for them to wire funds to. Unfortunately, that's not what ends up happening.

With that in mind, according to Leonard, the organizations listed at the end of the letter are real, but the names Paul Brendan McGee and Zeeshan Ashraf appear not to be. Better still:

There are even compilations of all the e-mail addresses that have been included in scam e-mails, and guess what: "zeeraf12@aol.com" is on the list, having previously appeared on a "fake lottery" variant of the classic Nigerian 419 fraud.

Bingo. We have a loser.

Frankly, this is actually quite ingenious. After all, if environmentalists will sign petitions to ban water, I'm sure many of them will fall for this.

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.