New Spam alert

[Karen]

If you get an email from someone you know, saying they are stuck on vacation in the UK or London, have been mugged and just need help to come home ...

it's a scam, and your friend's email has been hacked. It happened to my sister-in-law not too long ago, and I called her and she had to jump through hoops to get access to her own account back, etc.

I just got one purportedly from a long-time Pet Talker, I have tried calling her to let her know her email's compromised, but haven't gotten through yet.

So if you got one, don't believe it, and don't reply to the email.

Here's one:

I'm writing this with tears in my eyes, I came down here to United Kingdom for a short vacation unfortunately i was mugged at the park of the hotel where i stayed,all cash,credit card and cell phone were stolen off me but luckily for me i still have my passports with me.

I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and my return flight leaves in few hours from now but am having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the bills.

I'm freaked out at the moment.

Here's another:

I'm writing this message to you with sadness. I traveled to London for a short vacation and unfortunately for me, I was mugged at a knife point last night at the park of the hotel where i lodged and all cash, credit cards and cell phone were all taken away.


I have gone to the embassy and Police station but they're not helping issues at all. My flight leaves in less than 8hrs from now and i am having problems to pay my hotel bills.


The hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the bills. I need a loan from you to return back home and i want you to get back to me if you will be able to help me.

[Lady's Human]

Variation on this scam is a phone call from someone in Quebec in similar straits asking for help for a car accident/arrest/etc.

[Catty1]

I heard about this last year - a rather famous Canadian was overseas and this spambot got his address. For him, it was carelessness...he was using a computer at an internet cafe, a box popped up asking him something, and he clicked "yes" without thinking.

Out went the distress call - to his whole address book!

Bad thing is, it took him a while to convince his friends that it wasn't him lying and trying to collect money!

[Asiel]

Thanks for the warning Karen, guess the scams will never stop.

[Laura's Babies]

This scam has been around awhile, I have heard of it before. If I got one my first question would be "Why are you contacting ME? Where's your family?" Those should be the first person anyone would ask for help..

[Cataholic]

Scams are totally wrong. But, I can't really believe someone would fall for something like that!!!!!

[pomtzu]

My spam mailbox is filled with them daily. I'd be a multi-millionaire hundreds of times over if they were real. Someone needs to shut Nigeria down since that's where the majority originate. Can't believe anyone with half a brain could fall for any of them, but they must, since the scammers are still in business.

[momcat]

Hi Karen
If I can add to your important warning, I got an e-mail yesterday telling me that the United Parcel Service has a package for me then goes on about sending $3,000 so the person could hire an attorney to have over $2 million released to me and several others. Right from the start of the message I knew something was wrong.
Right now I'm not sure if I should contact our local police, UPS security, or ignore it and let it go. I have no intention of responding to this.

Please everyone, be very careful and don't fall for these scams!

[Hellow]

I'm going to go update my mail server's spam filters.

I once read a statistic that 90% of all email sent today is spam. After running my own mail server for a few years now, I certainly believe that.

Hmm... I think this is the article that I read: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10249172-83.html

[Karen]

Right now I'm not sure if I should contact our local police, UPS security, or ignore it and let it go. I have no intention of responding to this.

Please everyone, be very careful and don't fall for these scams!

Just let that one go. I have gotten that one, and ones like it for UPS, USPS, Fedex - even DSL - for years. And sometimes I get them telling me the info is in the attachment - which is most likely a virus, trojan horse, or some other bit of nastiness - I'll never know as I delete them.

[momcat]

Just let that one go. I have gotten that one, and ones like it for UPS, USPS, Fedex - even DSL - for years. And sometimes I get them telling me the info is in the attachment - which is most likely a virus, trojan horse, or some other bit of nastiness - I'll never know as I delete them.

Thanks, Karen. I got one like this at work once and told my supervisor. He reported it to our security and it hasn't happened since. Our computer at home is a different story and I honestly didn't know what to do. This one gets the delete button.

[captain]

Thanks Karen,
I think you got one from the same long time PT'er I did .....

I hope they figure it out and get their emails back.

[Laura's Babies]

BINGO! I just got this one, found it in my spam folder and thought you might enjoy it..

Good Day Sir/madam,

Compliments. With due respect, this mail may be a surprise to you because you did not give me the permission to do so and neither do you know me but before I tell you about myself I want you to please forgive me for sending this mail without your permission.

I am writing this letter in confidence believing that if it is the wish of God for you to help me and my family, God almighty will bless and reward you abundantly. I need an honest and a trust worthy person like you to entrust this huge transfer project with.

My name is Mr.Mensah Delata,a Ghanaian national and a manager of a financial institution here in Nigeria. I got your contact through a reliable source called database through Nigeria chambers of commerce.(Introduction):I am married with four kids here in Nigeria. I am writing to solicit your assistance in the transfer of $15,000.000.00 U.S Dollars.

(Source of Fund):
This fund is the excess of what my branch in which I am the manager made as profit during the 2009 financial year. I have already submitted annual report for that year to
my head office here in Nigeria as I have watched with keen interest as they will never know of this excess. I have since, placed this amount of $15,000.000.00 U.S Dollars on an Escrow Coded account without a beneficiary (Anonymous) to avoid trace. As an officer of the bank, I cannot be directly connected to this money thus I am impelled to request for your assistance to receive this money into your bank account on my behalf.

I agree that 30% of this money will be for you as a foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign account, and 70% would be for me as I will use my office to make sure that all is done cordially. I also do need to stress that there are practically no risk involved in this as I am one of the managers here which makes things easy. It’s going to be a bank-to-bank transfer. All I need from you is to stand as the original depositor of this fund so that the fund can be transferred to your account. If you accept this offer,
I will appreciate your timely response to me.

This will not be too difficult, counting on the fact that I will be on hand to guarantee the funds are released to you, using my official position. This can be done with your cooperation in a few working days.

Haven said this, I know you will be curious to know how this will work, but before we swing into action, I will like to ask you this question:

Can I really trust you? By entrusting this funds into your custody?

Sorry I have to ask this question because my whole life depends on this money and I have served this bank close to 15years before such trust could be granted to me. For us to proceed into this, I want you to reconfirm the following information below so that i can proceed:

1. Full name:
2. Your full contact address:
3. Your private telephone and fax number:
4. Age, sex and occupation:

At your request, I will provide further information. It is of paramount importance that you do not contact me via the bank mailing system or switchboard telephones about this project as all official lines are periodically monitored to assess our level of customer care in line with our total Quality Management Policy. I will therefore be inclined to feign ignorance if this happens.

This is why and only reason why I contacted you. Kindly contact me back via email: [email protected] for a brief discussion on how to proceed.

WITH REGARD
Mr.Mensah Delata

[moosmom]

ANY email from Nigeria, the UK, or anywhere I don't recognize...GONE!!! I never even open them.

[Karen]

A friend almost fell for the "traveling in London" email the other day, so I wanted to bump this up for people. An especially if you have older friends or parents who do not use their email as much, tell them about this, just in case.