nptech.info

This one should win a prize for lameness.  No graphics, no links, no attachment, no signature, nothing.  Is someone testing their new spam toy?

Sender: WorldWide Lottery (bevile@bevilehotel.com.br)
Subject: Prize Winning.
Text:
Did you receive our email ??

This one is simple and intriguing, but obviously a scam.  This site says it's a malware delivery mechanism. 

Sender: KATHRINE BURRELL (accounting@rlweiner.com) -- nope, no Kathrine Burrells work here.
Subject: Need your help!
Text:
Hello! Look, I've received an unfamiliar bill, have you ordered anything?
Here is the bill (link leads to http://bodrumadvisor.com/wp-content/themes/yoo_pure_wp/cache/kxwpq.htm?RPSBNA=2LPA6YI4NAA&3K7J=WRCJ3RCLH3O76EI&5LNS4WU=FH8PPJBS1WF&LCL=ATI67T7K&QQX4=8D198B0452RE3D6N&SKX=FIZMNFC5WFILQXA0&)

Please reply as soon as possible, because the amount is large and they demand the payment urgently.

MAILNR : Fingerprint: 80afff5d-97db4138
 

Heroes With A Heart Grant

The CTK Foundation’s "Heroes with a Heart" Grant Award wants YOU to nominate a “Hero with a Heart,” and give them a chance to win $5,000 as thanks for the hard work that they do.

There are three awards:

• $15,000 for Three Heroes One Hero with a Heart from each of the three categories of Health and Human Social Service, Animal Rights and Environmental Protection and Arts and Literacy will be awarded $5,000 USD and a professionally produced video about their affiliated nonprofit for use in public awareness or education.
• $1,500 for One Hero The CTK Foundation will also be offering a $1,500 (USD) President’s Choice Award (the Susan Lee Winter Grant Award) for an individual working to provide creative and innovative approaches to HIV/AIDS education or prevention.
• Blogger's Choice Award Lastly, there will be a Blogger’s Choice Award of $1,000 (USD). The CTK Foundation will choose a blogger (hopefully me) who will -pick one winner from any category.

Applications for all Heroes with a Heart grant awards open on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 and close Wednesday, February 29th, 2012 at midnight. Finalists will appear on the CTK Facebook page for public voting during April and winners will be announced on May 1, 2012. This award is open to registered nonprofits or charities of all types and sizes, worldwide.

Go to www.communitytech.net/foundation to nominate your Hero with a Heart today!

For regular updates on the Heroes with a Heart Grant, check out the CTK Facebook Page.

I wrote about a version of this one last year, but the language of this version is so tortured that I have to post it.  No official-looking seal this time.

Sender: FBI OFFICE (office.fbi3@gmail.com)
Subject: FROM IMF HEAD OFFICE
Text:
Anti-Terrorist And Monetary Crimes Division
FBI Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation
J.Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, Nw Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
www.fbi.gov

Attenuation,

This e-mail has been issued to you in order to Officially inform you
that we have completed an investigation on an International Payment in
which was issued to you by an International Lottery Company. With the
help of our newly developed technology (International Monitoring Network
System) we discovered that your e-mail address was automatically
selected by an Online Balloting System, this has legally won you the sum
of $2.4million USD from a Lottery Company outside the United States of
America. During our investigation we discovered that your e-mail won the
money from an Online Balloting System and we have authorized this
winning to be paid to you via INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT.

Normally, it will take up to 5 business days for an INTERNATIONAL
CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT by your local bank. We have successfully notified
this company on your behalf that funds are to be drawn from a registered
bank within the world wide, so as to enable you cash the check instantly
without any delay, henceforth the stated amount of $2.4million USD has
been deposited with IMF.
We have completed this investigation and you are hereby approved to
receive the winning prize as we have verified the entire transaction to
be Safe and 100% risk free, due to the fact that the funds have been
deposited with IMF you will be required to settle the following bills
directly to the Lottery Agent in-charge of this transaction whom is
located in Cotonou, Benin Republic. According to our discoveries, you
were required to pay for the following,

(1) Deposit Fee's ( IMF INTERNATIONAL CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE )
(3) Shipping Fee's ( This is the charge for shipping the Cashier's
Check to your home address)

The total amount for everything is $76.00 We have tried our possible
best to indicate that this $76.00 should be deducted from your winning
prize but we found out that the funds have already been deposited IMF
and cannot be accessed by anyone apart from you the winner, therefore
you will be required to pay the required fee's to the Agent in-charge of
this transaction

In order to proceed with this transaction, you will be required to
contact the agent in-charge ( Mr. Henry Ben) via e-mail. Kindly look
below to find appropriate contact information:

CONTACT AGENT NAME: Mr. Henry Ben
E-MAIL : imfoffce5@yahoo.com.tr
PHONE NUMBER: +22999511139

You will be required to e-mail him with the following information:
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
DIRECT CONTACT NUMBER:
OCCUPATION:

You will also be required to request Western Union or Money Gram
details on how to send the required $76.00 in order to immediately ship
your prize of $2.4million USD via INTERNATIONAL CERTIFIED BANK DRAFT
from IMF, also include the following transaction code in order for him
to immediately identify this transaction : EA2948-910.

This letter will serve as proof that the Federal Bureau Of
Investigation is authorizing you to pay the required $76.00 ONLY to Mr.
Henry Ben via information in which he shall send to you,

Mr. Robert Mueller
Federal Bureau of Investigation F B I
Yours in Service, Photograph of Director
Robert S. Mueller, III Robert S. Mueller,
III Director Office of Public Affairs
Welcome once more to FBI www.fbi.gov
 

Lots of people have already weighed in on Blackbaud’s purchase of Convio (two of my favorites: http://www.frogloop.com/care2blog/2012/1/18/blackbaud-buys-their-rival-convio-now-what.html and http://nonprofit-force.org/2012/01/20/the-convio-blackbaud-merger-one-customers-perspective/). Here my perspective.  Disclosures: I have clients that use both companies’ products, as well as products from their competitors, open source products, and homegrown solutions. I don’t invest in these or other companies that I advise on. I have no inside knowledge about what the merged company will look like.

Mostly I have lots of questions and concerns that the firms won’t be able to address until the merger is completed — if then. My main questions are about product strategies. (How) will this affect Convio’s online marketing suite? Common Ground? Luminate? NetCommunity? Sphere? Raiser’s Edge? eTapestry? (How) will this affect Blackbaud’s plans for, or ability to build, implement, and support Enterprise CRM? Will Blackbaud continue to develop on both the Salesforce and Infinity platforms? Will they really be willing and able to maintain all of these products and codebases?

While I generally think vendor consolidation is bad for the nonprofit world (unless the vendor being absorbed wasn’t a strong player to begin with), I’m less concerned about the impact on small nonprofits. There are tons of choices out there for small and mid-sized organizations. Idealware’s Consumer’s Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems reviewed 30 systems, the majority of which don’t come from Convio or Blackbaud. I’ve also been compiling a list of every donor database I come across at https://socialsourcecommons.org/toolbox/show/1661

I’m more concerned about the top end of the market. There were few full solutions designed for large nonprofits to begin with. Blackbaud has already bought Team Approach and PIDI, and (assuming this goes through) Luminate will join that club. On the recent NTEN community call someone asked the panel to name 5 vendors (other than Blackbaud and Convio) to whom we’d send a CRM system RFP for a $100 million nonprofit. It’s a real struggle to come up with five that can handle:

• Millions of records and hundreds of users
• Complex family, social, business, corporate, and financial relationships
• Provides robust, flexible support for all forms of fundraising, membership, marketing, and communications
• Support advocacy, volunteer management, complex events, electronic communications, content management, online payments, and merchandise sales
• Provide strong reporting and analytic tools
• Has an intuitive user interface for casual users
• Supports streamlined, high-volume data entry tools
• Provide data integrity tools to keep the data clean
• Has an open API and flexible import and export tools
• Has strong role-based security as well as strong protection against hackers
• Supports multiple locations or chapters, multiple currencies, multiple languages, and multiple character sets.

In addition, the vendor or consultant needs to understand nonprofit best practices, workflows, reporting needs, fund accounting, and unique requirements like giving societies, membership benefits, fair market donation values and tax benefits, soft credits, gifts that are split between funds or sources, auction gifts and purchases, and how to provide donor recognition credit for gifts that have no tangible value. Finally, the system needs to be backed by strong implementation practices, training, and ongoing product development and user support.  Software alone seldom gets the job done.

I’m also concerned about the confusion this will cause in the industry. I’m currently working with clients that are considering Blackbaud and Convio’s database products (among others). They don’t want to choose a product that won’t get the full resources of the merged company, or could even be killed off. Some independent consultants who implement Common Ground have questioned whether my clients even want to consider that product until the dust settles. (I’ve also heard from competitors that are expecting to pick up new clients because of the confusion).

And I’m concerned about confusion at Blackbaud. My experience with past acquisitions was that it took months or years for sales reps to figure out where their products stood. Sometimes they would pitch competing Blackbaud products against each other. Other times they would refuse to show us a product that a client was interested in because of an internal decision to promote product A over product B.

Although Blackbaud has bought companies and immediately killed off their products, (e.g., Fund-Master and GiftMaker Pro), of late, they’ve acquired companies and kept their products going (Team Approach, eTapestry, PIDI, Kintera). However, in most cases I haven’t seen evidence that they have invested in the future of these products. In some cases (like Team Approach), clients have been told that there won’t be any future product enhancements.

I expect that it will be many months before we have any clarity about what this merger will mean and years before anything significant happens. But it’s hard for me to believe that Blackbaud will be able to support all of these products. I expect that some clients will be given notice that they should make other plans. It’s also hard to imagine that established products will be killed off — at least not any time soon. I’m more concerned about newer products, or those with smaller customer bases.

I do expect that this will create opportunities for existing systems. If nothing else, many nonprofits won’t be able to wait for months or years to see which products will survive. But those companies will need to be able to provide the tools and support that nonprofits need, and have the marketing muscle to get the word out.

It could also open the door to an open source project. During the NTEN call we discussed Tessitura, the performing arts fundraising and ticketing system as an example of a successful effort. But that product started out with development and support from a major organization (the Metropolitan Opera). The Met was able to form a separate company to invest in and support the product, and it’s been a huge success.
 

Just in time for tax filing season in the U.S., a phishing message purporting to come from Intuit.  Intuit's security center lists lots of these, but not the two I got this week.  Both had empty graphics placeholders and broken hyperlinks -- maybe the work of a baby spammer.

Sender: INTUIT INC. (onlinebanking@ealerts.bankofamerica.com) -- it claims to come from Intuit, but the return address is at Bank of America
Subject: Please provide your tax information. (a second version had an exclamation point before the period)
Text:
Version 1:

Hello,

With intent to ensure that accurate data is being maintained on our systems, as well as to provide you better quality of service; INTUIT INC. has partaken in the Internal Revenue Service [IRS] Name and TIN Matching Program.

We have discovered, that your name and/or TIN, that is indicated on your account is different from the data on file with the IRS and/or SSA.

In order to verify the information on your account, please click here. (link leads to http://{int_link} -- I don't think that one will work, this site agrees)
Yours sincerely,

INTUIT INC.

Corporate Headquarters
2632 Marine Way
Mountain View, CA 94043

Version 2:

Dear Sir/Madam,

With intent to guarantee that correct data is being sustained on our systems, as well as to be able to grant you better quality of service; INTUIT INC. has partaken in the Internal Revenue Service [IRS] Name and TIN Matching Program.

We have discovered, that your name and/or Social Security Number, that is stated on your account does not match the information on file with the IRS.

In order to check and update your account, please enter the secure section. (link leads to http://{int_link} )

Yours sincerely,

INTUIT INC.
Corporate Headquarters
2632 Marine Way
Mountain View, CA 94043
 

Yow! Homeland Security wants to send me money (right after they learn to write English).  And it makes perfect sense that they're working with the United bank of Africa to make sure I get my money.  Watch out for those flying pigs.

Sender: Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency/Georgia (sandra@iexpress.com.br)
Subject: STATUS OF YOUR TRANSACTION WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY.
Text:
Attention

Greeting from Home Land security Emergency Management Georgia U.S.A.We are witting to inform you that you have a pending transaction to complete.You are by this notice required to complete the requirements for claiming your funds in our custody.Your fund value $300,000.00 dollars only in our custody which was deposited here by United bank of Africa (UBA),which information has it that it belongs to you all necessary information to contact you has been abortive because some official in our department want to transfer the fund into their private account.

So you are by this notice to contact us and claim your fund within the next four (4) working days or necessary actions will be taken by our team to terminate the transaction and return it back to Nigeria, were the compensation
is coming from.

Email Address: home.land.security.ga@secretarias.com

Mark Perez
Homeland Security Advisor
Georgia Department of Law Enforcement
 

It's January, so "tis the season" is out. And the lame spammer couldn't even format the message, so there are no links or images. 

Sender: Melissa Griffin (melissagriffin03a@rhonda42martinez.info)
Subject: Tis the Season for Warranty Sales

Here's a screenshot:

Screenshot6

Hmmm.  The Yellow Pages using spam to get listings?  The attachment is a PDF so it's most likely safe but not completely risk free.  I searched for subject line and found an example of what I'm guessing is the attachment.  The fine print at the bottom says:

We are compiling data for Yellow PagesUSA Corp. It is our objective to advertise your company products and service. List your production category and subcategory for goodsand service advertisement in your area. In order to include your company in our database, complete and return this letter of intent. Any additional company information,which may serve to update your profile, is appreciated.
Thank you for your cooperation.

ORDER:
SIGNING OF THIS DOCUMENT IS LEGALLY BINDING. PURSUANT TO THIS ORDER, THE SERVICE PROVIDER (“YELLOW PAGESUSA CORP”) IS OBLIGATED TOPLACE A DETAILED ENTRY AS LISTED, IN THE ONLINE DATABASE AT www.yellowpagesusa.com. IN ORDER TO RECEIVE OUR SERVICES, SUBSCRIBER ISREQUIRED TO PAY SUBSCRIPTION FEE. BY SIGNING THIS ORDER, SUBSCRIBER ACCEPTS FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED IN THE“TERMS AND CONDITIONS” ON OUR WEBSITE AT www.yellowpagesusa.com. IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR “TERMS AND CONDITIONS”, CONTRACT LENGTH IS12 MONTH AND WILL COMMENCE ON THE EIGHTH (8) DAY AFTER SUBSCRIBERS SIGNING OF CONTRACT. UNLESS CANCELLED BY EITHER PARTY CONTRACTWILL AUTOMATICALLY RENEW EVERY 12 MONTH. ONLINE ENTRY WILL BE INITIATED AFTER SERVICE PROVIDER (“YELLOW PAGESUSA CORP”) IS IN RECEIPTOF SIGNED ORDER. SUBSCRIBER’S DATA WILL BE KEPT ON FILE UNTIL CANCELLED. DURING THIS TIME, SUBSCRIBER AGREES TO AN ANNUAL RENEWAL FEEOF U$D 398.00 WHICH WILL BE BILLED PER ANNUM, UNLESS SUBSCRIBER CANCELS IN WRITING THIRTY DAYS PRIOR TO SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRATION. THEPLACE OF JURISDICTION FOR ALL DISPUTES ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS SHALL BE PROVIDERS (“YELLOW PAGESUSA CORP”)PLACE OF BUSINESS. AGREEMENT BETWEEN SERVICE PROVIDER AND SUBSCRIBER IS GOVERNED BY THE “TERMS AND CONDITIONS” AS STATED ON OURWEBSITE www.yellowpagesusa.com. THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR THE ORDER OF GOODS OR SERVICES, OR BOTH, AND NOT A BILL, INVOICE, OR STATEMENTOF ACCOUNT DUE. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO MAKE ANY PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT OF THIS OFFER UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER.

Note that filling out the form obligates you to a $398 annual listing fee.

Sender: support@yellow-pages-usa.com
Subject: Validate Your Internet Listing - Yellow PagesUSA

Text:

Dear Customer:

Please verify your Company Data by printing, completing and signing the attached form.

FAX THE COMPLETED FORM TO: 843-282-0035

Or return the form to the following address:

Yellow PagesUSA Corp.
391 NW 179th Ave
Aloha, OR 97006
or
fax the completed form to: 843-282-0035

Phone 843-282-0301
Fax 843-282-0035

E-mail: info@yellow-pages-usa.com,
Website: www.yellow-pages-usa.com

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO RECEIVE ANY FUTURE EMAILS FROM OUR COMPANY, PLEASE REPLY TO: unsubscribe@yellow-pages-usa.com
Removal requests sent to above address will be honored and respected.

I'd never heard of Pandora Beads before, and this spam, posted as a comment on my blog, didn't make me want to have anything to do with them. But I do like the concept of "charm beans" and bottoms that can be interchanged.

Your charm beans are often silver or rhodium as well as gold plated by using as well as magnifying glaas along with can be found in not less than 900 styles Pandora Charms. All these drops symbolize this birthstones, sun signs, animals, alphabets, words, and at any given time Pandora Charms by using distinctive in addition to important layouts. Most of these broad choice ensure that there is absolutely no repeating regarding pattern. Your drops are created as who’s matches recent bracelet or perhaps necklace. If you decide to acquire necklace instead of beads alone, the collection might be additional individualized that will allure people cardiovascular system. That necklace trust can be purchased in ins and the necklace around your neck period is frequently inches wide. Your sizes and also bottoms may be interchanged in order that the options of toggle bracelet or maybe your necklace or maybe the keychain can be different to your account and it also may uses age groups to uncover its identical these days.

Yes, of course I ordered a helicopter for the weekend (not).  Would someone really click on the link?  (I do like how the dollar signs follow the amounts -- is there a country that does that?)

Sender: Kathaleen Dailey (AbdullahDoporto@tele2.no)
Subject: Your order for rotorcraft for the weekend
Text:
Your order for our air transportation services has been taken and processed. The helicopter will be at your disposal from 22.30 saturday to 4.45 p.m. sunday. Once again, the rates are as follows:
1 hour in the air: 469$
Takeoff / Landing: 289$
1 hour down time on the ground: 87$
Longest period in the air is 5 hours.
When flying for longer distances, a second pilot is needed, and the cost consequently increases by 115$ per hour.
Total Due.doc 104kb

Total Due.doc links to
http://perroloco.com.br/viavt.htm?I4NOT=XN71HQF9AKVNVCAN9MAZ6Z&QC25K=UWVYH3OO1B3TK&H7U49B=OV429UTU5Q&JGG=05L8GYK0G3JH&DVBIL=FEY9XJ929W1&NO6XM=DY4V1UYB23BQUCTZ&E43TC7V=0AQ466SR&6D3HM5K=9G32SAMJF8IJ&

Best regards
Kathaleen Dailey
Secure Checksum: 3e65c3e65c87272af8727d4b65c349b
 

I was struck by the language in this spammy blog comment.  My first thought was that "boundless" online grant applications meant "endless", which would be horrifying. But maybe they mean "for unlimited amounts of money".

I cling on to listening to the newscast lecture about receiving boundless online grant applications so I have been looking around for the finest site to get one. Could you advise me please, where could i get some?

The following comment (with a link to an unrelated web site) was left on my blog.  Using fractured English to correct someone's (nonexistent) spelling errors struck me as a novel approach to SEO. 

Certainly like your blog on the other hand you have to check out the actual spelling on some of your content. Countless are rife together with transliteration troubles and that i to find it all really irritating to make sure to be honest however I am going to certainly occur once more all over again.

NTEN published my somewhat snarky predictions for nonprofits' use of fundraising technologies in 2012. My overall predictions are that most things will be pretty much the same as last year (and 2010 and 2009, etc.): many nonprofits will struggle with out-of-date systems.  No surprise -- many will also lack the funding to replace them.  But others will fail to see that technology, and people who know how to support and use technology, are necessary investments.

On the other hand, many organizations (and this by no applies just to nonprofits) will throw money and time at trendy projects without thinking about whether they're the right tools, with the right strategy, investment, support, or marketing behind them.  By all means, try new things.  But do it smartly.  Do your homework, test, learn from others, learn from your own failures, and get better at it over time.  And don't neglect what's already working for you.

I loved the movie Three Kings, so I got a kick out of being asked to help smuggle Gaddafi's money out of Libya.

Sender: SGT CHRIS BRAND (chrisbrrand@yahoo.com.ph)
Subject: WAITING FOR YOU RESPONSE
Text:
Helllo,

My name is Sgt. Chris Brand; I am an American soldier with Swiss background, serving in the military with the army's 3rd infantry division. With a very desperate need for assistance, I have summed up courage to contact you. I found your contact particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of (35,000,000.00 US) Thirty Five million United States Dollars to you, as far as I can be assured that my share will be safe in your care until I complete my service here in Libya, this is no stolen money, and there is no danger involved.

Source of money:
Some money in various currencies was discovered in barrels at a farmhouse near one of Muammar Gaddafi palace in Al-Bayda-Libya during a rescue operation, and staff Sgt Kenneth Buff and I took part of this money and shared before informing anybody about it since both of us saw the money first agreed on it. This was quite an illegal thing to do, but I tell you what, no compensation can make up for the risk we have taken with our lives in this hellhole of which a road side bomb killed my brother in-law last week.

Basically, since we are in government service and we are not allowed to have or keep discovered looted funds around us, we have decided to look for someone to help us relocate and keep this funds for us, that is why I have contacted you, so that you can keep it for us in your safe account or custody untill we complete our foreign service in Libya.

You will take 40%, 60% will be for me and my partner.This business is confidential, and it should not be discussed with anyone. There is no risk involved whatsoever as it is only me and my partner that knows the present location of the money.

My job is to find a good partner that we can trust and that will assist us. Can I trust you? To ensure confidentiality, when you receive this letter,kindly reply me via e-mail:signifying your interest including your phone and fax numbers for quick communication and also your physical locational address.

Respectfully,
Sgt Chris Brand.
 

The following blog comment spams were left on my site on 12/21 - 23 in response to my posts "Lame spam as blog comments" and "More lame spam as blog comments." For some reason I'm tickled by them, like how "worth reporting" mutates thesaurus-like into "couturier mention" and "riveting" becomes "intriguing," "newsworthy," etc.  All are promoting an investment called a "Liberty Reserve" account.  All but one lead to bluegoldbackers dot com, the other leads to hyip-libertyreserve dot com.

1. An riveting communication is worth reporting. I judge that you should make more on this substance, it power not be a taboo someone but generally grouping are not sufficiency to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers like your Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » Lame spam as blog comments.


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3. An riveting communicating is worth report. I suppose that you should correspond writer on this message, it power not be a preconception someone but generally fill are not sufficiency to mouth on such topics. To the next. Cheers like your Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » More lame spam as blog comments.


4. An newsworthy communicating is couturier statement. I believe that you should indite writer on this substance, it strength not be a bias person but mostly group are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers like your Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » More lame spam as blog comments.


5. An gripping discussion is couturier account. I guess that you should pen solon on this matter, it power not be a bias content but generally group are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers like your Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » More lame spam as blog comments.


6. An absorbing communicating is designer interpret. I believe that you should write many on this topic, it power not be a inhibition subject but generally people are not enough to talk on much topics. To the next. Cheers like your Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » More lame spam as blog comments.


7. An exciting discourse is worth account. I consider that you should compose statesman on this substance, it strength not be a taboo someone but generally grouping are not sufficiency to verbalise on specified topics. To the next. Cheers like your Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » More lame spam as blog comments.

Since Adobe seems to update Acrobat weekly, this message seems plausible.  Some quick indicators that it isn't real:

1. I get updates through the installed Adobe Updater, not as email messages. 
2. The update site is instant-acrobat-upgrade.com, not adobe.com. 
3. The sender's address is @newsletter.northerntool.com
4. No company logo in the message (easy to fake, but many spammers don't bother).
5. It lists an Adobe office in Canada, whereas the company is based in California. 
6. I got two copies.  Not a deal-breaker by itself, but another red flag.

I also looked at the domain registration for instant-acrobat-upgrade.com and it's registered to someone in Oslo (actually, Oslo,Oslo,AF 0951) with a Yahoo email address.  So I'm assuming this is malware.  McAfee's site advisor says it's queued for evaluation.

Sender: Adobe Acrobat Reader (northern_tool@newsletter.northerntool.com)
Subject: Upgrade to Latest PDF Reader for Windows

Text:
INTRODUCING UPGRADED ADOBE ACROBAT READER 2012

Since the Holidays are in full swing and the New Year is approaching, we've decided to unveil our Acrobat Reader/Writer 2012.

http://www.instant-acrobat-upgrade.com

Advanced features include:

- Collaborate across borders
- Create rich, polished PDF files from any application that prints
- Ensure visual fidelity
- Encrypt and share PDF files more securely
- Use the standard for document archival and exchange

To upgrade and enhance your work productivity today, go to:

http://www.instant-acrobat-upgrade.com

Our whole team has been working hard to satisfy your product needs.

This has been a great year for PDF Reader/Writer and it's all because of You.

We hope to see you in the New Year

Copyright 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Adobe Systems Incorporated
343 Preston Street
Ottawa, ON K1S 1N4
Canada

Don't people know not to click links in weird emails from strangers?  Probably not. This site says the link leads to malware.

Sender: Svetlana@rlweiner.com (My domain -- no Svetlanas work at my company)
Subject: Fwd: I'm in trouble!
Text:
I was at a party, got drunk, couldn't drive the car, somebody gave me a lift on my car, and crossed on the red light!
I've just got the pictures, maybe you know him???
Here is the photo (link leads to http://djnmusicstudio.com/wp-content/themes/classic/jhmxl.htm?I35=XL0C4D66LLT7M0662G25KRY&1US0=US2I9OKK&67QM=4XY6G2O9Y1R7544P2&Q7C7=3S3J309789CJ95A89SS0A&9SJR2Q=SQFE7ZJ6AAO&YPJ=6GUM395IAJCUJ9YDF7XHTH8&OWMW0=8MTL1IFTP9R8O2WTG&PKC20X=J982Q0J26M9DIUB&)

I need to find him urgently!

Thank you
Svetlana

MD5 check sum: 4999b6f8af3e65c8a5c3e6f3e1d4999b

As the calendar year draws to an end, charities (and ideally, donors) are focused on year-end donations and tax deductions.  Here are a few scenarios for U.S. charities to keep in mind. (Note: I am not a lawyer. When in doubt, contact an attorney who specializes in nonprofit law or contact the IRS for a ruling.)

Let's say the following donations will be processed by different nonprofits in the United States on Jan. 2, 2012:

1. A check mailed (and postmarked) on December 29th that arrived in the office on January 2nd.
2. A voice mail donation via credit card left December 29 (yes, it happens). A staff member heard the message on Jan. 2 and charged the credit card that day.
3. An online donation made on December 31st. The credit card was charged immediately. The nonprofit was notified of the gift on Jan. 2.
4. An online donation made on December 31st to a different charity.  That charity's online giving system did not charge the credit card immediately -- instead it sent an email (ideally, an encrypted one) to a staff member that the donation needed to be processed.  The staff member charged the credit card when she returned to the office on January 2nd.

Which tax year are they each for? 

The answers below are based on IRS Rules and Regulations: What You Need to Know to Stay Out of Trouble by Alison L. Paul, Executive Director of the Montana Legal Services Association, from the book Advancement Services: A Foundation for Fund Raising, 2nd ed., published by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
 

1. "The IRS has stated that a charitable gift made by check is complete at the time the check is delivered or mailed, provided the bank eventually honors the check." The check would be considered a 2011 charitable contribution even though the nonprofit did not receive the check and the funds did not clear the bank until January 2012.
2. "A gift made by credit card payment is complete when the charge is made." (Note that is doesn't matter when the credit card bill is paid.) The charge is considered made when processed by the recipient. So if the charity did not process the charge until January 2012, the donor would be treated as making the gift in 2012 rather than 2011, as she intended.
3. Unlike scenario 2, the online donation service charged the credit card immediately.  Even though the nonprofit wasn't notified of the donation until 2012, the gift was "made" in 2011.
4. Scenario 4 is the same as scenario 2.  The credit card wasn't charged until January, so the gift is for 2012.

Now, nonprofits should not set themselves up as tax advisors.  The donor is responsible for documenting their gifts in case of an audit.  On the other hand, nonprofits are required to provide correct information to donors and can be fined for knowingly falsifying tax receipts.

For further information, see IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, and Publication 1771, Charitable Contribution, Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements, and John Taylor's "Annual Date of Gift Message".

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