In the mail, there arrived:
- three late Xmas cards
- voter registration x2
- tax package x2
- mystery envelope
"Mystery envelope?" you think to yourself, scratching your head. I too am left scratching my head. For this mystery, the business-sized envelope has no return address and is labelled with unfamiliar writing. Inside, there is a page cut from a newspaper called "Daily News" from Thursday, December 1, 2005. It contains a full-page ad for a product called "Immuderm". On the opposite side there are stock listings.
My name (sorry, I covered up my address for internet-safety's sake).
Handwriting on the article that was sent.
The cancelled stamp.
The entire article.
So the questions remains: Who is "J"? Why did they send me this article? How do they know me?
Facts:
- This person somehow got my address (including unit #), but messed up on the postal code (switching the "J" for a "G").
- The stamp was cancelled just east of downtown Toronto, meaning that the letter was probably dropped off in a mail box or a post office in that area.
- This person used my middle initial "R" -- I haven't insisted on using my middle initial for a number of years.
- The date on the paper is Dec 1, but the cancelled stamp shows Dec 22. So the person kept the article for 2 to 3 weeks before sending it off to me.
- This person writes in all upper-case letters.
I will probably never know who sent this.
(And really, as if I'm going to spend $100+ for a product endorsed by some unknown person!)
UPDATE! (Dec 28/05 at 20:47)
Well, I have solved it. It's nothing but a scam.
Someone writes:
Tonight in my mail there was an unmarked envelope with just my name and address on it. I opened it up to find a newspaper clipping and handwritten on the top was "Sherri, it works".
The article was about a product called immuderm and how it is an amazing anti wrinkle cream. It was originally developed to heal diabetic scarring of some kind and found to work wonders to renew skin.
For anyone who wants to check it out go to www.immuderm.com.
I honestly am totally clueless who sent this to me and am not sure whether to be insulted or thankful lol.
...
Has anyone ever heard of this immuderm stuff and if so I would love to know if it really works.
Sherri
So it's nothing more but a marketing technique. Phew! I don't have a strange stalker after all!
31 comments:
Same story here - I received it on Monday, Feb.27/06, article dated Feb.2/06 in the Weekly Journal with Mutual Funds listing on the backside of the paper. Handwritten at the top "Bridgette, Get it. It Works! J." In a legal size envelope with no return address. Hmm, a miracle product at an amazingly high price!
I receive ProActive products...maybe they got the mailing list from that site. Cheers.
Hee Hee, got one too. I just went on the internet to research the product and came across your blog, which made me feel better - thank you. The little note on the newspaper ad makes it seem so personal, and yet it is so insulting, as if someone is trying to tell me something (i've noticed that you're not looking so good) and being compassionate and helpful as a friend (try this, it works.) Typical cosmetic marketing scheme -- make you feel ugly first then offer you something to make you feel better. Now that I think about it, I don't care what it promises -- I resent the marketing tactic. Better (because I know what's in it) and cheaper because I make it myself: a little bottle of jojoba oil, a few vitamin e capsules broken into it and a little essential oil of patchouli or tee tree makesa pleasant moisturizer for nighttime. For daytime and under makeup -- L'oreal makes a 45 SPF dry touch non comgenic sunblock that costs about $14 CA.
Glad I saw your site. I live in Calgary and I, too, was going crazy trying to figure it out.
Strange. I'll be trying to contact the company to let them know it's a creepy marketing gimmick.
I'm a reporter for the Calgary Herald and I'm interested in speaking to anyone who has received the mystery letter.
My toll free number is 1-800-838-8994 ext. 7490 and my e-mail is schapman@theherald.canwest.com.
Thanks,
Sarah Chapman
Calgary Herald
Hi,
I too received the same sometime in February and I am now just checking out Immuderm and have found your blog. Very interesting! I was wondering what "friend" had sent it to me.
Thanks for the info.
Janet in Ottawa
Hi i live in glasgow in scotland and i recieved the envelope with the paper cutting it was not my name on the envelope? but it was my address i thought it must have been someone abroad sending it to a friend but got delivered to me by mistake i thought i must try out this amazing cream so i was glad i saw your site thanks for your info tracy from glasgow
As did my father get one and i found your blog the same as others!
mine was an article from the net, these letters are ALL computer generate, i doubt anyone actually wrote anything on them. My letter originated from the states.
I am in the Norfolk, England and I just got really worried when I recieved mine - thank you for posting all this - I can now spread the word!
Yup, I got it too (Lincoln, UK)and wondered who on EARTH it was from, coz none of my friends would send me something so insulting. I'm 26 and hardly have a wrinkle!!!
It's August 2006 and this insulting scam continues. I live just north of Toronto and received one of these ads in the mail yesterday. Not realizing it was an advertising scam, I was completely creeped out! A Google search led me to your blog entry. Thank you so much for getting the word out about this - even my husband thought it was from psycho sicko!
I just received the same letter and ad today ... August 2006, London, Ontario. Thanks for your blog - I was somewhat disturbed before!
I am from Brampton, Ontario and I've been trying to solve the mystery "friend" who sent me this article, cut from Daily News a full page ad about Immuderm. I am 53 yrs old and I thought "do I really look so bad that a "friend" sent me this ad to change my facial appearance ?
Thanks I found its just a scam!
I got this a few days ago and thought it sounded great! Then a Google search came up with your blog. What a sneaky, manipulative way of advertising. Gives the product a whiff of snake oil.
Has anyone tried it? Does it work? If so, they have a seriously misguided marketing manager
I received this a couple of years ago and was creeped out as well, not realizing it was a scam! I'm in Ontario and am now reading so many others are receiving this.......still going on!
I just received my letter the end of August 2006 in Victoria, BC. Mine is French and the note is in French as well. How odd! It totally made me have a range of different thoughts. Thank Goodness I have read everbody else's comments and know they just got my address somehow!
July 2007 and it is still going on and it is stil from "J"
"R" in British Columbia
Just checking in to say that this scam is still going - I got a letter from these people today.
Now I'm not normally the conceited type, but I know my skin's in pretty damned good shape; this letter induced a major paranoid moment though: who the hell thought my skin looked THAT bad?!
About ten seconds later I came down to earth and googled the company and came across your post.
What a creepy f*cking marketing campaign. First, let's send anonymous notes with no return address, then let's let the receiver think some random person thought their skin was so bad that they took the time to clip an article and mail it to them.
September 4, 2007 and came from "J" written in all capital letters. Scary to think someone is taking the time to write these and send them! What a scam!!!
Alberta
Nov 28/07 and i just got the ad in a envelope postmarked santa ana ca. I was going crazy asking the few ppl i know in the states if they sent it to me. I was googling the ad and i found your site. I'm severely creeped out that this person knows my adress.
Saskatchewan
New type of spam delivered right to your door !!!
I am marketing manager for a company in Canada. I look after web and print advertising. This new type of marketing you will notice, will be getting more aggressive. With the clamping down of "spamers" online and the ability to ask the post office to not deliver junk mail. Because it comes in a proper envelope the post must deliver it as a letter. The people who are sending out these letter are from all over the world. Each person is working for the advertised company or marketing firm. Most of these people are working from home stuffing envelopes for just pennies apiece. You know those ads in the back of the paper that say work from home and make lots of money. These are the people that are the true offenders, Along with the producers of the advertised product.
I just got this mystery letter last night and have to say that it creeped (to say the least) out both myself and my husband. Thank Goodness, we found this site. I can't believe that in this day and age a company would be using such a creepy way to sell their product. I can guarantee that I will never ever buy this product and I hope no one else does either. I have since contacted Immunocrop directly at 1-800-446-3063 to get off their mailing list and complain about their methods. It probably won't change anything but at least I feel at little better about this whole situation. I recommend that anyone else who has gotten this letter to do the same.
My Mum received this, too - we're in central England and the message says "I bet it works!". She buys health products online so Immunocorp must have bought a mailing list from one of her suppliers.
Googling for "NBG" or any of the supposed biotech terms given in their literature yields tons of results ... every single one of them originating from the cream's manufacturers. If it was that great a discovery, the Web would be weighed down with learned reports about it!
So thanks for providing the sole voice of reason here, Michelle! And, hey, your skin looks fine from here :)
5 April 08
I just received my "personalized" ad postmarked from Santa Ana, CA. I just assumed it was from a relative and his fancy wife who have been peddling overpriced supplements and topical cosmetic "miracle" products for the past several months, though for a different company. I figured they expanded their product line and as distributors they send out as many of these hard copies to all the people they know.
Thanks for the site.
April 12, 2008--Received the very same newspaper full page ad as all of you have mentioned. Mine also was signed "J" and was mailed in Santa Ana CA. I live in northern California and have a niece who lives in the L.A. area and who's first name begins with a "J." Thought perhaps she had sent it. Am so thankful I decided to Google the Immuderm product and found this web page. I have purchased skin care products online from DHC and Bare Minerals. Wonder if that is where the mailing lists were generated? Clever scam, but lots of very intelligent ladies taking the time to verify the validity of the product. I appreciate everyone's input!
Received handwritten mail with no return address, postmarked May 6, 2008 from Santa Ana, California. Contents was a folded, undated newspaper page containing an article or advertisement apparently from a "Weekly Journal" exactly as appearing in the photograph in this blog, though without the red corner markings.
The upper left-hand corner of the newspaper page contained a handwritten note, addressed to the recipient of the mail, with the following text:
[name withheld],
Get it
It works!
J
This matter is being referred to the United States Postal Inspection Service. Please contact the United States Postal Inspector's Service if you have received this mail also.
I received one of these postmarked July 7, 2008. The newspaper looks the same as yours, but the date on the paper says Thursday, May 8, 2008. Mine had the same "Get it. It works! J" message one it and was mailed from Santa Ana, CA. I didn't receive the mystery envelope until today because my mail is being forwarded right now, but it creeped me out. I'm glad I found your blog post!
I just came across your blog as I received one of those advertisements today (August 3, 2008) with the same handwritten note postmarked from Santa Ana, CA and wss trying to figure out if I should be creeped out or not (I live in NY). It's crazy that it's been going on for so long. This company needs to find a new marketing tactic.
This is so crazy, I have been ads from "J" since the 1990's for weight loss products and postmarked from Santa Ana, CA. Recently I received one from "J" postmarked Santa Ana, CA. for acne treatment. Today 8-22-08 My wife received a letter postmarked from Flint MI. with an article talking about CD fraud in banks and a yellow sticky note that reads " Thought you might find this interesting" "J" If there is such a thing as Karma, I hope "J" gets it back in spades because "J" has been driving me nuts for years. Relieved to see that I am not the only one.. I thought it was some kink of cult activity. Thanks for this site.
It's Sept. 5, 2008, and they're still sending these letters out. They're pretty stupid for spending 42 cents for postage.
For those of you who asked if the product works....who cares? I'd never buy anything from anyone who creeps people out like they're doing.
I received my letter on Monday, Sept 22nd 2008. It was post marked in Santa Ana California for Sept 19th.
The article was about a weight loss pill...and considering I have body issues I was pretty dang upset. All I could think was why would someone send it and just put J. Then I was like who would be mean enough to play a joke like that. I brought it to work today and started asking a coworker about mail without a return address and how being from Oklahoma I dont know but 3 people in California.
Needless to say he found your blog and now I'm not so sad.
THANKS
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