Every so often, the deluge of SPAM that finds its way into my inbox via this place throws up something a little different. Usually it is crap about improving my Google rankings (don’t give a stuff) or some cretin trying to get me to publish their guest post (can’t you fucking read?). But the latest one was, er a little different, to say the least…
Re: Request for information under Section 59 of the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act 1982
Dear Rob Manuel
This is a request under the Commonwealth Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 1982, for a copy of the following document(s):containing the following information, of the registered owner of this blog thread as they have used your website and blog thread to interfere with a Criminal Investigations into the Rape of Multiple Women and Children, which is currently being investigated by the Royal Commission:
The Thread is:
He’s a paramedic in my town *and* claims to be ex-SAS. The locals think he’s a bloody joke and a local cop tells me that the cops see right through his bullshit, but he seems to think everyone idolises him.
He deserved getting outed on the military imposters website and has been put on indefinite leave by the state ambulance service while he’s being investigated by the service’s Ethical Standards Unit.
I do feel sorry for the impact all his bullshit will have on his young boy though.
(discopants, Sat 15 Jan 2011, 13:06, closed).
I am willing to pay fees for this request up to a maximum of $15 per hour. If you estimate that the fees will exceed this limit, please inform me first.
If you deny any part of / or this entire request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release, with a strong rational reason why the information should be obfuscated from release and notify me of appeal procedures available to me under the law.
If you have any questions about this request, you may contact me by telephone at the listed contact details below.
I look forward to your reply within 20 workdays (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays), as the statute requires.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Gordon – John Dunn
I’ve no idea who Rob Manuel is, so, er… And, naturally, no such thread exists.
I’m assuming that this is a crude attempt at phishing. If so, the imbecile who came up with this cack has missed the mark by a country mile. Indeed, he must assume that I am as dim as he is. After all, the feeble attempts to make it UK-centric are full of schoolboy errors – we don’t have a state ambulance service, the police deal with criminal investigations and we pay for goods and services in sterling not dollars. So that’s a massive fail, then.
Still, I’m more than happy to respond to this twat’s request, so here it is.
Dear Mr Gordon John Dunn, go fuck yourself with a pineapple wrapped in razor wire.
There… Not only was it within the twenty working days, I waive the $15 fee.
b3ta.com: http://b3ta.com/questions/bullshit/post1042436#post1043204 , Rob Manuel is one of the founders of the site.
The link in the forum post is dead, but lives on here: http://www.anzmi.net/index.php/updated-cases?pid=349&sid=160:Dunn
Looks like you’ve received communication from a genuine nutter 🙂
Thanks for that. I did do a search, but this stuff didn’t come up.
The Freedom of Information Act he refers to is this:
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2004A02562
The Act only applies to: “An Act to give to members of the public rights of access to official documents of the Government of the Commonwealth and of its agencies.”
It only applies to Australia.
Section 59 does not in any way apply to private punters or their blogs (if you can be arsed to scroll down umpteen pages of bumph.
I’d warn anyone trying Uncle Nick’s link to go there incognito as it’ll dump a cookie.
So the Dollars he is ostensibly prepared to pay you are Aussie Dollars, so about £8 per hour. If he hassles you again, then invoice him at the usual rate of one working day plus overtime and get him to credit it to a bitcoin wallet. Then tell it to take a hike. Problem solved.
I was aware that FOI only applies to government, so even if he was asking for stuff that was on this blog, he’d get short shrift. And, frankly, the only contact details I have are an email address that may well be spoofed anyway and an IP address that will only give an ISP. So he would still need a court order to get what he is after and he isn’t going to get that.