The Nominations Continue – The Princeton Premier Want Me Too

I must be getting someone’s attention because the accolades just keep coming:

Dear Maxwell,

It is my pleasure to inform you that you are being considered for inclusion into the 2009-2010 Princeton Premier Business Leaders and Professionals Honors Edition section of the registry.

The 2009-2010 edition of the registry will include biographies of the world’s most accomplished individuals. Recognition of this kind is an honor shared by thousands of executives and professionals throughout the world each year. Inclusion is considered by many as the single highest mark of achievement.

You may access our application form using the following link: [removed]

Upon final confirmation, you will be listed among other accomplished individuals in the Princeton Premier Registry.

For accuracy and publication deadlines, please complete your application form and return it to us within five business days.

There is no cost to be included in the registry.

If you’ve already received this email from us, there is no need to respond again.

This email serves as our final invitation to potential members who have not yet responded.

On behalf of the Executive Publisher, we wish you continued success.

Sincerely,
Jason Harris

Managing Director
Princeton Premier

To remove yourself from future mailings, please visit here to use our automated removal system. You will be removed from our mailing database within seven (7) days.

Thanks Princeton Premier 23-35A Steinway St – Astoria, NY 11105 – USA

This time it is the Princeton Premier wants to add me to their exclusive list.

Last time I received one of these emails I didn’t really explain why I was so quick to dismiss it (though it may be rather obvious to most of you). Having received a second one from what is 99.99% the same source, it’s an interesting exercise to look at the manner in which these emails are constructed.

One can understand the appeal of this sort of spam to an extent. Unlike the majority, which offers medications and various ‘personal enhancement’ products, the Princeton Premier/Presidential Who’s Who appeal to our very human desire to want to be famous, and recognised by our peers. The name “Princeton” evokes images of a prestigious university, of academic achievement. Of course, the list has no actual connection with the instution, but surely that is a minor technicality? I can assure you that no President of note endorses these lists either.

Secondly, the text of the two emails is almost the same. Are there really two lists competing for my sign up? The signup links (which are obscured in the general email view) also have an eerie resemblance  with the same /U/37/2651655 form.

A whois search of the domain names 2009presidentialwhoswho.net and princetonpublishing.org reveals some (un)surprising facts: 2009presidentialwhoswho.net happens to be owned by someone with the email address “[email protected]”. Fascinating. The same spam purveyors perhaps?

I can’t tell you exactly what is in it for “Jason Harris” and “MarkAnthony McGuiness”, but I can unequivocally say that I want no part of it. And nor should you.

I for one would be very disappointed if this was my “single highest mark of achievement”.