I just received this in my email today from one of my social media contacts. I know it’s spam because 1. This is a common travel scam. 2. This friend and I are not at a level of friendship that would allow for a request for money. 3. The request is outrageous to receive via email. If someone needs money quickly, they would call their family members, on a phone, that the local police would provide. 4. Hotel bills? Please. One call to my credit card company would fix that, pronto. I don’t know very many people who travel abroad without a credit card.
You all know this. I’m just putting the text up here so the search engines can catch it. If you are finding this post from a Google search or other search engine, yes, it is a scam and don’t reply to the email. Contact the sender through other means immediately and tell them their email has been hacked.
Here is the text:
How you doing?i am so sorry about me not informing you about my trip to London, United Kingdom some days back, Unfortunately for me i was mugged at gun point last night and here i am totally freaked out! All cash, Credit cards and phone were stolen,i got messed up in another country, stranded in London,United Kingdom, fortunately my passport was in my hotel room. It was a Brutal experience and i was hurt a little bit on my right hand, but would be fine. My return fight leaves in a few hours but i am having Problem sorting out the hotel bills, wondering if you could loan me some money to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport i will refund it back as soon as i get back home. I have been to the police and embassy here, but they aren't helping issues,i have limited access to mails now,i have canceled my cards already and made a police report, I won’t get a new card number till I get back home! So I really need your help.would def refund it to you once i get back home...Hope to read from you soon I await your reply soon. Thanks (first name of sender)
UPDATE: TUESDAY SEPT 6 2011
Sent Clarence Westberg a head’s up on Google Plus. (notice I did not reply to this email. Never reply to a travel scam email. Never use email to reply to any request for money. The return addresses are fake and redirect you to scammers. Also, there is a chance that the whole account is fake, as it is in this case.)
Here’s what the real Clarence Westberg said:
It's not my yahoo account, they created it using my name, probably using the create account from FB [Facebook] feature. I don't even have many of the email addresses, so they must be getting them from FB.
So now accounts can be spoofed. I do not own the christine.cavalier -@- yahoo.com account. If you see an email from that account, know it is fake.
But, that being said, another, easier rule to remember is this: No voice, no money. Never wire any money to anyone unless you’ve talked with them on the phone. The local authorities will help victims place a phone call. Don’t be fooled. No voice, no money. Spread the word.
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A friend’s Yahoo was hacked twice in about 4 months. First time she had an easily compromised password. Second time it was above average in strength. First time the city was London like you have here. Second time it was Madrid. Sadly, both times people responded to the email. The return address was slightly different (like instead of abcdef99@freewebmail.com, it was abcdef999@freewebmail.com) so replies went to a place the friend did not control.
The phishing attempt is pretty slick it is easier to suspect a Nigerian prince than one’s friend. This is the reason why all those viruses who spoof email addresses we know are so effective.
Yeah it’s a shame. It baffles me that people assume that email would be the first medium a person in desperate need would choose. Emails get lost, go unanswered. It isn’t reasonable to think an email is good in times of emergency. The message we have to send here is that emails are hackable and voice isn’t easily as spoofed. Rely on voice in emergencies, especially before you send any money.
-Christine Cavalier