This is becoming a common theme in my day to day inbox intake so much so that I thought I would write a little post about it.

Now this may gain similar attention to the bomb building guides written by scientists who are publishing exacting diagrams and potentially lethal schematics because they genuinely want to help other like minded individuals understand their thinking. I must re-iterate to all of those who are busy enough to have the time to read this that I am only trying to demonstrate the theory and not advocating the practice of what I am about to write.

(Isn’t it lame that I have to say that before writing something even mildly suggestive!)

I receive on average, 2 emails a week suggesting that I have been the victim of piracy and that some of my files have somehow found themselves on file sharing sites such as Mediafire, Rapidupload and other far far inferior struggling competitors.

The email is almost always of the following format:

1. Introduction: Hello my name is (Mr X)

2 Reason for contact: and I am sorry to inform you that whilst searching Google (presumably for stupidly dressed animals and compromising Justin Bieber videos) I happened across a few of your files on file sharing websites.

Now what do you think the odds are of them finding those links!!! It sure is nice of them to inform me of my misfortune, now I can contact these individuals and kindly request they remove my files from aforementioned inferior file sharing websites. But I really don’t have the time to send out a basic email template to all these links, if only there was someone who was able to do this for me, possibly for money.

3. The pitch: I recently set up a service to protect individuals such as yourself from this exact problem.

NO WAY!!!

4. The push:I am able to remove all these links within 72 hours and am only charging $59 for the service.

THAT’S A BARGAIN, THEY SHOULD BE CHARGING TWICE THAT

4. The money shot:I normally charge $139 but $59 is my rate for first time customers.

Boom! I’m hooked, quickly, where’s the buy now button!?

Although, thinking about it, this guy might be onto something. I mean it’s not out of the question for an individual to post these links on file sharing websites, send a few emails out to various authors of online content, and then generously offer the service of a newly founded startup to remove the links.

I thought about sharing this thought with (Mr X) but I had just stepped in a massive puddle whilst trying to walk and read my email at the same time so I thought sod him, let him get his own money making idea! Lazy bastard.