Recently, I started seeing letters and applications that looked mighty familiar. Sure enough, they were versions of the same letters, the same packages essentially with changed information. Unbelievable. I found the source of those letters, and there's a website selling them specifically geared to PhD scientists. You can buy these for $15, or a whole pack of them for $35 or so. One of those websites that tries to compete with ScienceCareers.org is looking for some way to "monetize" their website and it's revolting.
This is the worst kind of cheating, not all that much different than buying a history essay for your undergraduate History of Europe 101 course.
Do people really DO this? Yes, they do, and I can attest to it. But why would someone risk being thrown out because he or she can't write a cover letter? I'm blown away by the risk/reward ratio here. What do you think? The only appeal I can see is for someone who doesn't speak English well, but do they know what they are risking?
Dave