The best a man can get

Over here in Moscow, we didn’t see that much Russian language spam in the run-up to Valentine’s Day. This isn’t really surprising, as 14th February isn’t a traditional Russian holiday.

The run-up to Spring does include a couple of major national holidays: 23rd February and 8th March. In Soviet times, the 23rd February was Red Army Day – it’s since been renamed ‘Defenders of the Fatherland Day’, but in practice it’s simply a celebration of masculinity, with parties, drinking, and appropriately masculine presents being given by partners and colleagues.
And naturally, the question of what to give is being actively exploited by spammers.

Our spam traps have been inundated with a whole variety of offers: solar torches, mini toolkits, barbeque grills, pens and wallets. So far, so standard. Some spammers, though, are determindly targeting the traditionalists and the military minded by offering tank driving experiences, airplane flights and a whole range of weaponry, including crossbows. Delivery of a crossbow, complete with bolt, is free within Moscow – if you live further out, you’ll have to pay the shipping fees.

It will be interesting to see what the spammers offer for 8th March, which is International Women’s Day. Probably nothing as exciting as a crossbow, but we’ll keep you posted.