"Nigerian" Spammer Arrested 241
Roger_Wilco writes "According to The Globe and Mail, a "Nigerian" spammer has been
charged with with first-degree attempted larceny. Hopefully we'll get a few less of that spam now."
"Why should we subsidize intellectual curiosity?" -Ronald Reagan
Check out the hilarious Nigerian Spam responses at (Score:5, Interesting)
Really funny is this one where the alleged Nigerian is requesting contact info and the guy sends him the phone numbers for the Secret Service division [thespamletters.com] that handles the Nigerian Scam. Priceless. He never heard back from the alleged Nigerian after that.
Re:Check out the hilarious Nigerian Spam responses (Score:1)
Re:Check out the hilarious Nigerian Spam responses (Score:2, Informative)
He's really helped me out actually... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Check out the hilarious Nigerian Spam responses (Score:3, Offtopic)
I checked out the site, and while funny, the letters where he gets no replies don't compare to the book "Letters from a Nut" by Ted Nancy. You can find it at Amazon (or other online seller's I'm sure), including some page previews with the letters he writes and the responses he gets.
I know it's not spam, but Ted Nancy's letters are *far* more clever than the spam responses this guy is writing. Funny, yes. But without the dialogue with the spammer, they really lose a lot.
Re:Check out the hilarious Nigerian Spam responses (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Check out the hilarious Nigerian Spam responses (Score:2)
New spam message (Score:2)
In return for lending me $5,000 - the amount of my bail - I will be happy to repay you $50,000 once you help me transfer my embezzeled money from Nigeria...
Re:New spam message (Score:2)
Re:Check out the hilarious Nigerian Spam responses (Score:2)
A couple of months ago, I got a Nigerian email which had the usual story of a banker who was killed in a plane crash (flight number and date provided) etc etc etc. What was unusual was that the the email, which was sent to my .ie email address, said "Mr. X, who was Irish, was killed on flight blah blah".
Now, Nigerian spammers don't usually take the trouble of figuring out the nationality of their potential victims. So, my curiosity aroused, I decided to investigate.
Google is your friend. I punched in the
We finally got one? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:We finally got one? (Score:1)
Not atall. He was one of the biggest Nigerian spammers (if not the biggest!), and even IF there's 1,000,000 more to go, it's still one less, which can only be a good thing.
Re:We finally got one? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:We finally got one? (Score:5, Insightful)
we had a war on drugs. there are still drugs. we had a war on terrorism. didn't stop that either. why should a war on spam fare any better?
the problem with all these wars is that they are supply-side. as long as there is a demand, there were will be a supplier. fine the suppliers, arrest the suppliers... hell, kill them even. but while there still exist the droves of doe-eyed sheep (mix those metaphors!) who are willing to buy "spam-vertized" goods and services, there will be spammers.
this arrest will in the long and medium term acheive nothing.
Re:We finally got one? (Score:3, Funny)
I totally agree. Terrorism would go away if we stopped asking for it.
Re:We finally got one? (Score:3, Insightful)
That explains it (Score:5, Funny)
Shame, really. I was looking forward to a long, hard talk about things with him...
mod me down if you want (Score:2, Funny)
WOOT!
Re:mod me down if you want (Score:2)
friend [slashdot.org] beat
him over the head with his guitar.
You can't arrest him! (Score:5, Funny)
aw, sheesh... now how am I gonna pay my SCO licence?
Want to know what happens if you reply to 419s? (Score:4, Informative)
A few less responses? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:A few less responses? (Score:2)
Swen is only there because MS hasn't bothered to recall all the old windows install CDs. This means it will keep going till people stop thinking "opps! I've got a virus, I'll just reload".
Damn! (Score:1, Funny)
Please help... (Score:3, Funny)
-T
commandline response (Score:1)
similar scams (Score:5, Interesting)
i'm trying to sell my car and posted it on a few free car sales websites. so far, i've received 4 of emails exactly like this:
"We have a client who is interested in purchasing
your ( 2000 vw gti vr6 glx ) for the price of $( 14,500 ).Please forward me your final asking price "
of course, i then reply with the price confirmation, but then i get this:
"Hello,
Thanks a lot for your mail and the information, also for all your efforts towards making this transaction a success, i really love it and wish to buy as soon as possible. Anyway, this is how we are going to seal this transaction there is an associate of mine in the US who is owing me $19,800 i am going to instruct him to send you a cashier's check for that amount,and when it clears your bank you can now send my balance by Westernunion. Although i know that the value of the check is more than the price of the 2000 VW GTI VR6 GLX, but i am willing to trust you with my balance So if this offer is acceptable to you,let me have your contact information so that i can instruct my associate to send you a check,that is your name,address and phone number Please get back to me as soon as soon as you get this mail so that i can know your decision regards this transaction. I am banking on my balance so that i will be able to settle my shippers here in there local office because it is cheaper and faster.My regards to the family
Banks"
so this scam basically falls upon the same principle. obviously we all know where this is going, but i decide to play along anyway and sent him a bogus PO box to send the check to.
the next email was this:
"Thanks so much for the mail and the rightful information. Anyway, i just want you to know that what is required is your physical address and phone number, so as to deliver the payment to you in person. So, do well to let me have your Full name, physical address and phone number, in order to get the payment to you as soon as possible. And what do you mean by "terrifc deal"?. Waiting to hear back from you soon. Thank you and God bless.
Regards
Banks"
my question: why does he need my physical address and phone number? it's obvious at this point he will let me know about some snag and that i need to send him some money for whatever reason.
on a side note, i am selling my Volkswagen GTI VR6 GLX [ventura.nu] if anyone is interested.
so, people selling their autos online, be wary of this scam.
Nonpayment (Score:2)
Re:similar scams (Score:4, Informative)
Re:similar scams (Score:3, Informative)
Re:similar scams (Score:2)
Re:similar scams (Score:2)
Banks in the US redeem cheques this liberally? In Brazil, you can only cash a cheque in the particular building the account was made, and signature, serial number, etc. are checked. Or you deposit it in your account, extra balance is considered "pending" until the issuer's bank clears it. From that point on, the money is YOURS, and if the bank fell for it, too bad for them.
Re:similar scams - how this one works (Score:4, Informative)
IMO, this is the saddest one, because it sounds more legit, and there is practically nothing unsuspecting people can do about to thwart it.
http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/
Re:similar scams - how this one works (Score:3, Insightful)
At very least it seems to me there should be a maximum number of days the bank can hold your responsible for, after which the transaction is deemed void or legit.
Of course the laws are probably written in favor of the banking industry...
Re:similar scams - how this one works (Score:5, Interesting)
This scam hurts the worst of all. This is how it usually goes down. He would really send you a cashiers check for the amount he said. You would deposit it and wait a couple days. Then you'd call the bank, and they'd tell you everything is great. You'd send him the car, and the difference. Then after a few weeks the bank would call you and tell you, 'sorry, that cashier's check was a fraud, we're debiting the amount from your accounts, please bring in X dollars.' And you, my friend, would be completely out of luck. Owing the full amount to the bank, and the scammer would have your car, and the extra money you sent him/her/it.
I've heard about this one before too when a friend of mine got a similar offer when selling a motorcycle. (Fortunately he was advised of the scam before the bike+money was sent). My question is (to anyone who might know): how can a bank state that the check has "cleared" when it actually a fake. What is the proper state of confirmation for a check such that you are guaranteed that the transaction has been completed? This seems like a problem with our banking procedures. A customer should be able to receive a proper 'transaction complete' acknowledgement from a bank to indicate that his/her liability has ended. After that, if anything goes wrong, it's not the customers problem.
Re:similar scams - how this one works (Score:5, Informative)
When doing ACH transfers (ie, when you cash a check at one bank, but the funds come from another), there's a 6 month window where a transaction can be reversed (ie, similar to a credit card chargeback). Most banks will settle within 10 days, but there's really no way of knowing that an ACH will not reverse, until that window has closed. It's usually the backwoods banks run by "Nan and Boyd" that take forever to settle ACH.
S
Re:similar scams - how this one works (Score:2)
Re:similar scams - how this one works (Score:5, Informative)
The scam works because the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) requires banks to make money from cashier's, certified, or teller's checks available in one to five days. Consequently, funds from checks that might not be good are often released into payees' accounts long before the checks have been honored by their issuing banks. High quality forgeries can be bounced back and forth between banks for weeks before anyone catches on to their being worthless, by which time victims have long since wired the "overpayments" to the con artists who have just taken them for a ride.
Use a Certified Check (Score:2)
Kashif
Re:similar scams (Score:3, Informative)
We get this scam all the time, its the Nigeria v2.0 - basically it goes like this:
1. Nigerian offers to buy your product but wants to overpay you.
2. You receive check, ship the goods and send the excess funds to him via western union.
3. Your check bounces 3 weeks later and the bank deduct
FedEx (Score:4, Informative)
obligitory snopes link... (Score:3, Informative)
here [snopes.com].
Basically, you get the check, you think it's cleared, release car and money, find out too late that the check was fake.
Re:similar scams (Score:2)
While the appeal of stealing somebody's car and their money at the same time is quite apparent, this scam seems like it would be more effective if the perpetrator kept their ruse more subtle. Buy the car, pay with a counterfeit cashiers check. The overpaying and wanting cash back part may generate cash for the criminal in the process, but it's a definite red flag that something is amiss. A person supposedly owes them $20k but is too lazy to pay it in two separate cashiers checks? Yeah, whatever.
I can s
Re:similar scams (Score:2)
They can't get the money into the US then out so easy because of tax reasons and money transfer fees, etc etc...
Re:similar scams (Score:2)
Variant seen in Europe... (Score:2)
Believe it or not, people will often give precise details (including alarm and location) to someone promising to see and buy the car tomorrow.
Do you really think it is still going to be there tomorrow?
The Nigerian scam is pure karma (Score:3, Interesting)
As such anyone conned by the Nigerian scam deserves to be ripped off & the govt should turn a blind eye to then being scammed.
Re:The Nigerian scam is pure karma (Score:2)
DABANSHEE wrote:
The Nigerian scam is pure karma. It only hurts those who are so selfish that they put their greed before commonsense.
Yes, but the scam discussed by the post you are replying to is not. The "mark" is just someone trying to sell their old car. The only thing the mark is offered here is their asking price for the car. It's not a case of greed or selfishness here.
As such anyone conned by the Nigerian scam deserves to be ripped off & the govt should turn a blind eye to then being s
Business Opportunity (Score:3, Funny)
i am dr zanzibar of the country canada. i would like to introduce you TO A limited time opportunity to become arrested quick. please send five hundred thousand (500,000) of these e-mails to various people around the world so that they will give you money. you will promise to give them many millions of dollars (>$1,000,000) this plan works real good.
PLEASE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED REPLY BACK TO MY ACCOUNT WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND BANK PIN NUMBER. DO NOT WORRY I ALREADY HAVE YOUR BANK CARD AND AM WAITING TO COMPLETE THE DEAL. I RESPECT YOU AND REALLY LIKE YOU. I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.
DR. ZANZIBAR, CONCERNED AND ECCENTRIC PERSON.
Re:Business Opportunity (Score:2)
I am Mr. Horvath-Howard from Canada. As I have recently become in trouble with the law, I am looking to get my millions which I have earned through my dealing out of the country and into Nigeria. I have $50,000,000 sitting in a bank account here, but I need the help of a Nigerian citizen like yourself. If you would help me, I would split the money with you, givng you $25,000,000.
PLEASE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED REPLY BACK TO MY ACCOUNT WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND BANK PIN NUMBER. I AM
Re:Business Opportunity (Score:2)
You play waaaay too much Metal Gear...
Lah lah something to avoid the lameness filter....
Re:Business Opportunity (Score:2)
hook, line and sinker (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:hook, line and sinker (Score:2)
Does this mean... (Score:1)
Oh, look. Sierra Leone is giving me the same offer. Cool!
This happened in my home town (Score:3, Interesting)
How major is this guy? (Score:3, Interesting)
The ones they should be going after are the ones in Nigeria -- the scam is the third largest source of foreign currency for that country.
Nigerian scam really from Nigeria?? (Score:2)
The ones they should be going after are the ones in Nigeria -- the scam is the third largest source of foreign currency for that country.
Really? I find that hard to believe. If I were a Nigerian trying to scam people, I would make the scam complete by claiming to be from a different country, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or something...
Wait a minute--
The more you tighten your grip... (Score:5, Funny)
Dammit Dammit Dammit (Score:4, Funny)
HON. RAYMOND ETIEBET(DR).
ATTN: Bobdotorg,
DEAR SIR
REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP EH
FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION. THIS IS VIRTURE OF IT'S NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET EH.
WE ARE TOP OFFICIALS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN IMPORTATION OF GOODS INTO OUR COUNTRY AND INVESTING IN EUROPE WITH FUNDS WHICH ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN NIGERIA EH.
IN ORDER TO COMMENCE THIS BUSINESS WE SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANTANCE, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO ENABLE US RECIEVE THE SAID TRAPPED FUNDS ABROAD, FOR THE SUBSEQUENT PURCHASE AND INVENTORY OF THE GOODS TO BE IMPORTED AND THE INVESTMENT IN EUROPE EH.
THE SOURCE OF THIS FUND IS AS FOLLOWS: DURING THE PREVIOUS MILITARY REGIMES IN OUR COUNTRY, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SET UP COMPANIES AND AWARDED THEMSELVES CONTRACTS WHICH WERE GROSSLY OVER-INVOICED IN VARIOUS MINISTRIES. THE NEW CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT NOW SETUP A CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL WHICH I AND MY COLLEAGUES ARE MEMBERS AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A LOT OF INFLATED SUM, DUE TO OUR POSITION AS CIVIL SERVANTS AND MEMBERS OF THIS PANEL, WE CANNOT AQUIRE THIS MONEY IN OUR NAMES EH. I HAVE THEREFORE, BEEN DELEGATED AS A MATTER OF TRUST BY MY COLLEAGUES OF THE PANEL TO LOOK FOR AN OVERSEA PATNER INTO WHOSE ACCOUNT THE SUM OF US$31,000 000,00 (THIRTY-ONE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WILL BE PAID BY TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER. HENCE WE ARE WRITTING YOU THIS LETER EH.
WE HAVE AGREED TO SHARE THE MONEY THUS:
1. 70% FOR US (THE OFFICIALS) EH
2. 20% FOR THE FOREIGN PATNER(YOU) EH
3. 10% TO BE USED IN SETTLING TAXATION AND LOCAL AND FOREIGN EXPENSES EH.
IT IS THIS 70% THAT WE WISH TO COMMENCE THE IMPORTATION BUSINESS AND THE INVESTMENT IN EUROPE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% SAFE AND WE HOPE THAT THE FUNDS CAN ARRIVE YOUR ACCOUNT IN LATEST TEN(10) BANKING DAYS FROM THE DATE OF RECIEPT OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION EH. A SUITABLE COMPANY NAME AND BANK ACCOUNT(COMPANY OR PERSONEL) INTO WHICH THE FUNDS CAN BE PAID EH.
THE ABOVE INFORMATION WILL ENABLE US WRITE LETTERS OF CLAIM AND JOB DESCRIPTION RESPECTIVELY EH. THIS WAY WE WILL USE YOUR COMPANY'S NAME TO APPLY FOR PAYMENTS AND RE-AWARD THE CONTRACT TO YOUR COMPANY NAME EH.
WE ARE LOOKING FOWARD TO DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU AND SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY IN THIS TRANSACTION EH.
PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE RECIEPT OF THIS LETTER USING THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS EH. I WILL BRING YOU INTO THE COMPLETE PICTURE OF THIS PENDING PROJECT WHEN I HAVE HEARD FROM YOU EH.
YOURS FATHFULLY EH,
HON. RAYMOND ETIEBET(DR).
FAX:234-1-7596980 TEL:234-1-4701056 EH
Re:Dammit Dammit Dammit (Score:1)
HON. RAYMOND ETIEBET(DR).
ATTN: Bobdotorg,
DEAR SIR
REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP HUH
FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION. THIS IS VIRTURE OF IT'S NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET HUH.
WE ARE TOP OFFICIALS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA CONTRACT REVIEW PANEL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN IMPORTATION OF GOODS INTO OUR COUNTRY AND INVESTING IN EUROPE WITH FUNDS WHICH ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN NIGERIA HUH.
Re:Dammit Dammit Dammit (Score:2)
How do you get away with typing in all caps? i get the lameness filter
[/offtopic]
There's been spam? (Score:1)
I can count the number of spam I receive per month on one hand since implementing that.
And the most interesting part of the story is... (Score:5, Informative)
(Full disclosure: I am a Nigerian, and it brings me grief to no end that the first thing people think of when my country is mentioned is 419 scams).
Re:And the most interesting part of the story is.. (Score:2)
Re:And the most interesting part of the story is.. (Score:2)
Re:And the most interesting part of the story is.. (Score:2)
Re:And the most interesting part of the story is.. (Score:2)
Apparently your government isn't with you.
I would expect them to feel the same way, and do something about it. But it looks like they encourage these practices as contributing to the national income.
Isn't Nigeria in Canada anyway? (Score:2)
I can't believe it (Score:2)
BLAME CANADA!
What is slashdot coming to?
Re:And the most interesting part of the story is.. (Score:2)
What I'm saying is: probably 90% of the people outside Nigeria or its borders, don't even have a clue where it is on the map. Some 80% probably not even on which continent.
(Gratuitious troll: make that more like 99% among the kind of rednecks who've been raised to think, "we're Americans, we do
Re:And the most interesting part of the story is.. (Score:2)
But the second thing that comes to mind is that they have the death penalty for being a single mother (still not carried out yet I hope).
and the third thing was that in my phone contract it says... direct dial calls to all countries are allowed except Nigeria and Pakistan. Is this a crime prevention measure?
And the fourth thing is that Shell is not exactly lo
awwww (Score:3, Funny)
Re:awwww (Score:2)
links on other known scams (Score:2, Informative)
www.scamshield.com
www.scambusters.org
scam reporting SW? (Score:2, Interesting)
WHAT?????? (Score:1, Redundant)
Why dont we all toy with them. (Score:2)
Just make a fake email account, and start correspondence. Have fun, try to get them to meet you at the airport to pick you up. Then tell them you went on to the hotel, then you changed hotels. Try to get them to go somewhere in the city they recommend that has a webcam, and get some photos for the album.
If I had the ti
Re:Why dont we all toy with them. (Score:3, Insightful)
I've done it, people I work with are doing it now.
That 419 guy lived in Canada, where most handguns are illegal. I'd love to see him show up at my house with his sharpened stick, I'd have to debate which piece of my arsenal to use, and he may get a chance to poke me one. Of course many states, including Utah, have Conceal Carry laws, so you never know who's packin'..
ps, people who go to Nigeria to "collect" are utter and complete idiots. Of course that shou
Wait a second - Nigerian Scam run from Canada? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wait a second - Nigerian Scam run from Canada? (Score:2)
Damn! (Score:3, Funny)
Kind of like listening to the Iraqi Information Minister
Boy do I miss him!
-- TT
Didn't you get the memo? (Score:2)
When was your first time... (Score:4, Interesting)
I first saw one of these via SNAIL mail back in 1991!!! Since I was fresh out of school, studing lasers, there were many jokes around the office of our small company about us designing a 'Nigerian Defense Initative', with Ground Based Lasers on the corners of the building...
You could imagine my disgust when I started getting the same damn letter via email 10 years later... I guess there are some gullible idiots out there who keep the thing alive... but wow!
Re:When was your first time... (Score:2)
Late '80s, by snail mail. In fact, the letter was posted from Nigeria & the exact mailing address was that I had used to send reprints of a couple of journal articles to a student at the University of Lagos.
So I actually got a Nigerian scam from a real Nigerian!
Sojambi S. Pinola the Vigilante (Score:4, Funny)
My work bud finally had enough of this Nigerian scam that he decided he would a have a little fun with the situation. [aol.com] His deed of daring do is a damn hilarious read!
My New Web site. (Score:3, Funny)
Click (here) and enter your email here if you want to sell me methods to increase the size of my sexual organs.
Click (here) and enter your email if you want to sell me spam stopping software.
Click (here) and enter your email if you want to use me to transfer ridiculously large sums of cash for a profitable percentage.
Click (here) and enter your email if you want me to join your dating service
Click (here) and enter your email if you want me to refinance using your service.
EULA has small print that says: Note, all buttons forward your email address to the previous clicker. Too bad, I can't require emailers to give me their correct forwarding address.
This reply is amazing (Score:2, Funny)
IMHO, it's the best one ever; without selling any punches, it ends in bloodshed :-)...
"Nigerian" Spammer Arrested (Score:2)
Was he trying to peddle free software to Princeton?
Got one via snail today (Score:2)
Basically it was a printed out version of the email scam.
"419" scams (Score:3, Interesting)
I have an IMAP folder labeled "crooks", into which all scammer correspondence go. So far I've collected about 150 of them in there.
I actually try to answer each and every one of them; I usually send them a template mail which is designed to arouse their interest. At the same time, I send a complaint to the host of the mailservice they used. Sometimes, the scammer gets back, with a new e-mail address and asks me to use the new one instead because the old one is "no longer confidential" or some similar braindead excuse. My typical response to that is to tell them that "I just sent you all the information you requested, to the E-mail address you used before. Didn't I get it right?"
Everything to irritate them, and waste their time. Why?
If enough people were doing it, they would be forced to another way of earning a living. Perhaps even looking for an honest job. One can hope.
URGENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY (Score:2)
Mugu Guymen collecting addresses (Score:2, Interesting)
The posts usually come with a sender, subject or body containing combination of the words "Mugu" and "Guymen". "Mugu" seems to mean "Big fool" in Nigerian.
Try a Google search for the words (ignore Google's suggested repl
"Attempted" larceny (Score:3, Interesting)
I can see it now. The next step of escalation on the part of the spammers will be that they'll make sure that they really are in touch with the family of some rich Nigerian dead dude. That way, when the authorities come to bust him, he'll have plausible deniability; "What? I really am working with the the widow of the late Mr. Djboutu.... just call her, she'll tell you!".
Nigerian Happiness (Score:2)
BBC says that Nigeria is the happiest country in the world [bbc.co.uk].
Coincidence?
NOT a dupe (Score:2, Informative)
Re:NOT a dupe (Score:3, Funny)
Re:darwin in action (Score:1)
Dear AC,
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Maybe you should learn how to:
Spell all of your words correctly.
Use punctuation.
Learn that not only does your keyboard have a shift key, but that it is used on words like "Nigerian".
Then, maybe you would have the guts to use your name when you post.
Re:The reason spam filters dont work (Score:2)
Anyone who falls for such an obvious joke deserves to get scammed. Oh, wait - we're in a thread talking about suckers and scams - guess you're on-topic after all :-)
</sarcams>
Re:The reason spam filters dont work (Score:3, Insightful)
>to look at text and tell whether it is spam or
>not.
Seeded Bayesian strategies work pretty damned well. The problem is, most consumers are forced to download the mail before letting their spam filter check it.
I don't really care that the spams are in my inbox folder. I mean, I do, but the damage was done when I was forced to download the crap before checking it. That is the bigger annoyance.
If Cox cable would let me, I would just run my own in