What sort of scam is this?

[feng_shui_house]

(found in the comments on a You-Tube)

who can help me ? i want to be someone's adopted son.

i am a chinese boy,i have two brothers (one was dead in the coal mine ),i have graduated form university . if u need a son to look after u ,i would like to show filial obedience to u just like my blood parents . i am kindhearted and clever ,i can adopt myself ,but i need help to bridge over the difficult at the moment.if u accept me ,u and my blood parents are all my parents forever. (I omitted the phone number and email given)

Comments

[pherber-m.livejournal.com]

*snort* Great. The Nigerians have moved to China and started preying on people's fear of being abandoned. I expect we'll see a lot more of this in years to come.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

I imagine they'll become slightly more sophisticated. I couldn't quite puzzle out what 'I can adopt myself' meant.

[k-haldane.livejournal.com]

We know that "An intelligent man can adapt", but I don't know about "adopt". : )

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

It would be a challenge! :^)

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

What's the betting someone falls for it, too...?

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

Which is why I didn't include the email or phone number. Not that I think anyone on my flist would fall for it, but better safe than sorry.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Someone looking for another angle on immigration?

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

I don't think so. Adopting even foreign *children* is an incredible hassle, often taking years.

I can't imagine a university graduate being able to immigrate by claiming to be adopted.

I suspect it's more of a 'give me money so I can come to be your support in your old age' routine, but as soon as you do, either they suck your bank account dry, or they tell you there are bribes they need to pay in order to come to you. Send more money.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Not chinese / Asian but they do place importance of having a son as only a SON can do the prayer to the ancestors bit.

[entropy-house.livejournal.com]

The spam seems aimed at English-speaking (probably US) folk so I doubt that has much to do with it.

I'm glad LJ is back. It was pretty much dead for me earlier.