Scam Email: “An Emergency Please”
I received an email, yesterday, appearing to be from one of my customers, using a Yahoo! email account. The subject was “An Emergency Please”. Here is the exact text of the email, spelling and grammar mistakes included:
Am in a great sorrow writing you this note,Just wanted inform you about something very important,i could barely think straight at this point,i hope you come to my aid. Because something very terrible is happening to me now,i need a favor from you now,I had a trip here in UK on a mission.
Unfortunately for me all my money got stolen on my way to the hotel where i lodged along with my bag were my passport was,And since then i have been without any money i am even owing the hotel here.So i have limited access to emails for now, please i need you to lend me about 700pounds so i can make arrangements and return back I am full of panic now,the police only asked me to write a statement about the incident and directed me to the embassy,i have spoken to the embassy here but they are not responding to the matter effectively, I will return the money back to you as soon as i get home, I am so confused right now.i wasn’t injured because I complied immediately.
I will be waiting to hear from you since i can’t access the internet always
Kind Regards
This is obviously a scam email, but I thought, since I had details to share, I would let people know about it. You always have to be on the lookout. I did make a phone call to the customer and advise that they, at least, change the password for their email account. Yahoo! should also be notified.
I only mention Yahoo!, because it appears as though the account has been hacked into, in order to send the email to everyone in the account holder’s address book. I don’t believe that this is a problem exclusively their own. I’ve read about Gmail accounts being compromised, as well. However, Gmail is still my overall choice for online mail accounts.
7 Responses to “Scam Email: “An Emergency Please””
Leave a Reply
I got hit by this one today. Two different email requests for money were sent to everyone in my Yahoo contact list and also to some of my Facebook friends. My biggest concern is that one friend replied to the spammer and he replied asking that the money be sent by Wester Union in my name in Cardiff, Wales. Does this mean this character has id in my name??? Western Union suggested that I call the FBI. Has anyone followed this route?
I would call the FBI and see what they say.
I just got nearly the same mail from someone i knew in armenia but now stays in the UK (according the mail)
I hope i didn’t do something wrong by opening this mail.
Walter,
I don’t think opening the mail would have done anything. The links contained within are the problem. You can never be too careful, though.
June 2, 2010
Re: Emergency: Hijacked email account asking for money from contact list
I am reporting a serious web crime to Yahoo customer service. Action is needed promptly to avoid continued happening of such terrible crime. This is the email that I received email below. Thanks for your attention.
************
“Am in a great sorrow writing you this note,I hope you receive this message on time ? Sorry I didn’t inform you about my trip to the UK England for a program,I am presently in England, something extremely dreadful happened to me,I was robbed at gun point on my way to the Hotel by by hooligans and they made away with my Bag and other valuables. I called my bank for a wire transfer but it has proven almost Impossible to operate my account from here as they made me understand international transactions take 7 working days to be effective which i can’t wait.
I feel so devastated,now my passport and other belongings are been retained by the hotel management pending the time I pay my Hotel bills.This is shameful,I need you to help me with a loan of 1200 pounds (equivelent to $1840) to pay my hotel bills and get my self home.I will reimburse you soon as I get back Home.I will appreciate whatever you can assist me with. Let me know if you can be of help.
All hopes on you.”
XXXX
Got one of these from the account of an elderly distant relative…the tell for me was broken English from a man who lived his whole life in the States, held a degree from Yale, and claimed to have traveled to england when I know he and his wife haven’t traveled further than florida years…
I had several people contact me today about my yahoo account claiming that an e-mail at similar to the one you have provided… about me being stranded in England, with out a phone, borrowed a computer to e-mail fiends for assistance…
the address that they gave was: 169 Connaught Rd, Fleet, GU 51 3LP, United Kingdon