Saturday, November 14, 2009

Video of the Week: Lonely Hearts Scam Division

The Scamnet: Lonely Hearts Scam Division video shows Tom Consul and Jim Tuesday investigate the latest scam using the internet. This video is from the U.S. Embassy London and offers advice on how to avoid being a victim of an online scam. This Dragnet-inspired video from the London mission is catchy and creative, and I think it's great except for one minor quibble. I think this video would have been a lot better if they did not have to insert the Embassy's Consul General Derwood Staeben in full colors in the middle of this 7:15 minute clip. Nothing against the CG there, except that 4:28-5:07 interrupts the flow of the clip. It did not help that the camera shows him at full length in a middle of a room with a lot of distracting items. If you really must have the CG in this clip, put a close up of him at the end, just before the part when he says contact the nearest embassy. Other than that, I think Jim Tuesday ought to get his first acting award here, with Jane Pretty as runner-up. Can you please, please do the Nigerian Letter next for scamnet?

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