I got some of them t-shirt emails. I told the "minister" 20k cash.
I traced the email to some 4th world country, and told him Interpol was involved. Never heard from them again.
You have to watch out on the phone calls. If you opt for the remove me from the list button, it will connect you with an operator.. @ $2000.00 a min. Once you hit the button, it is like accepting the cashiers check.. your fault.
When I get live people, it usually makes the day go by easier after some verbal abuse unleashed upon them. Hey.. they called first.
The reason these people do this is because if they get enough recognition, the government will hire them to make the national security computers safer and haxor proof. it is like a World Wide Web resume for them. If they infect so many people, the major virus software whores will scoop them up, use their talents and sell more product. If they haxor big time and get thru bullet proof security, then the feds snag them and make them work for them for big bucks.
If you notice, most of the newer operating systems make it harder to find the DOS prompt. GWBasic programs and some of the older non secure C programming is not functional anymore.