Laughing all the way to the bank: My one-week tally of Internet 'lottery winnings'

On Monday of last week, I was just another laid-off guy trying to pay off credit cards and find full-time work. But what a difference a week makes: By Friday, I found myself awash in lucrative overseas job offers ... and rolling in dough as multi-multi millionaire.

Well, at least that's what my spam said.

We've all fielded dozens of those Nigerian scam emails, the creepy ones usually titled "DEAR LOVED ONE." Or: "Congratulations on your lottery prize." Or start off: "I am most humble seeking your assistance with a matter of a great importance." (You don't have to be an English professor to know the grammar gives those ones away.)