This afternoon I received an email from a blogging friend that I’ve known for a long time. He often replies to my comments using his iPhone (to show off) so I’m used to hearing from his email address.
He said that he was in London, he’d been mugged and that the police and American embassy weren’t being very helpful. He was being kept at his hotel because of a very big bill so please would I send the money and he’d pay me back when he got home. Can you imagine how worried I was?
In this day and age money can be transferred from any where in the world almost instantly, so it seemed strange that he should ask me for a loan. He doesn’t sign his emails with his full name either. So I emailed his wife just to check and she confirmed that they’d been hacked.
Well Mr Hacker you just hacked a very good lawyer with three savage dogs. His wife is pretty handy with her cane when she gets cross, so watch out.
10 comments:
It's absolutely territfying what these shitbags can do. Always best to talk direct with the person him/herself (or wife in this case), as you did. It will get to the point when we need to ask 'security questions' of our friends when we are communicating.
It's a good thing that you checked making sure that it was OK. It's sad to think that we may have to use security questions as Jo said when we communicate. Good article, btw.
The problem is that many people fall for it.¨How many times did I get emails from my "provide" saying that I should transmit my user name and password otherwise my email account will be closed. But as I say, people fall for it.
What a nasty world it is becoming and harder to keep quiet and safe.
Caroline XXX
I've gotten a lot of phishing attempts, but this is a new one...
Glad you saw through it! Also glad that got someone that might be able to pursue it!
alan
It is genuinely scary I often wonder how secure my blog is and who else might be covertly reading it. This is the first time I have heard of this type of scam. I am very grateful to you for sharing it now. If it helps I will never ask you or my blog friends for money, good recipes maybe? fashion critiques possibly? opinions or thoughtful reflections definately! Money or your personal details never.
I hope the savage dogs pick up the scent and haven't been fed for a long while :)
As always, great post
Helen xx
I had heard that this scam existed. So glad you checked before sending money.
Cas
Like africans have an immunity to certain tropical diseases, I think Gen Y has an immunity to phishing attempts. I shouldn't say that, as its almost happened to me twice.
But its just funny, I can look at an email and within a matter of seconds decide if its legitimate or not.
pavpal.com is not paypal.com and so forth
Oh Snap! Let us know how this one turns out, will you?
I hate these guys and "hate" isn't too strong a word. I think about them preying on people who don't know any better or don't think to question it like you had the good sense to do and it irritates me to no end. Good sleuthing, Anji! ;)
Josephine: It's sad that a handful of bad people (to be polite) should make life so difficult for the rest. At first I was very upset to think that a friend was injured and that I couldn't help, let alone realising that it was a spam
Cortina: Thank you. Perhaps we'll have to think of more elaborate ways to let friends communicate with us.
Peter: They are so convincing. it's not hard with all of the programms available to copy someone else's website.
Alan: I must find out if he can take some kind of action.
Helen: I'm sure the dogs will get revenge. It is important to communicate things like this so people are aware.
Cas: In a way it's fortunate I didn't have the money to send.
Emperor: Thank you for your visit, I love some of the spelling and grammar mistakes. The FBI are especially bad at spelling!!
Kimberley: I wonder what their success rate is? They can send out millions of emails in a short period...
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