They're hooked on hopium

from here and here

I think this is probably true for just about everyone on the receiving end of spam, which is why the spammers need so much imagination to believe any of us will pay them. The problem is it's not absolutely everyone receiving spam. There are still a few hold-outs, still a few people out there who fork over their hard earned cash on absolute garbage (or maybe it's not hard earned after all and that's why they're so open to wasting it). Those are the people keeping spammers' hope alive.