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Thread ID: 108683 2010-04-07 08:56:00 A creative scam somebody (208) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
873904 2010-04-07 08:56:00 I got an email from an acquaintance the other day:


I'm in the United Kingdom right now and I got mugged and also lost all
my money. I am stranded right now and urgently need your help. Can you
lend me $1850, I'll refund you as soon as I get back this weekend and
explain better to you. I know this may not be a good time to ask for
such a favor but I just thought I could turn to you for help. Anything
you can come up with will be appreciated. You can send it to me via
western union so I can receive it in minutes over here. This is the
address which should be filled on the western union form: 13
Harpsfield Broadway, Comet Way, Hatfield, Hertfordshire,London ,AL10
9TF. Please don't forget to send me the details,the ten digit MTCN on
the payment slip which will be given to you, I will need it to receive
the money. I am counting on you. Please get back to me immediately you
get this email. Thanks.


Fortunately I didn't believe a word of it, but this is something which people could easily fall for. The email header looks legit, so I am guessing it's a trojan or some other form of malware on his PC?

Has anyone come across this before?
somebody (208)
873905 2010-04-07 09:32:00 Seen this one appear in some of the yahoo forums from *members* with the exact same message, about the only thing different is the value.

End of the day, it is the usual money scam in one of the many forms.

Send them a WU number made up of random numbers and let them try and cash that in.
PinoyKiw (9675)
873906 2010-04-07 22:14:00 I'd hope if my close friend / relative urgently needed help while overseas that they'd feel they could just ring me, not email me heh. inphinity (7274)
873907 2010-04-07 22:58:00 Send them a WU number made up of random numbers and let them try and cash that in.

Nice.
Just waiting for one now ... :)
fred_fish (15241)
873908 2010-04-07 23:41:00 When i see Western Union i know its a scam lol Ollie (794)
873909 2010-04-08 04:12:00 This is another reason why email should be plain text only.

Once a trojan sends email on a friends behalf, it could include some juicy attachments(pdf,ppt,.doc,.wmv) or links to an evil site. Exploiting a trust relationship is quite the thing to do.

Have you contacted your acquaintance? Do they know its happening?
pkm (13527)
873910 2010-04-08 08:30:00 This is another reason why email should be plain text only.

Once a trojan sends email on a friends behalf, it could include some juicy attachments(pdf,ppt,.doc,.wmv) or links to an evil site. Exploiting a trust relationship is quite the thing to do.

Have you contacted your acquaintance? Do they know its happening?

Yup - they are aware of it, and appear to have been locked out of their Gmail account as a result of it. Fortunately this message was plain text too.
somebody (208)
873911 2010-04-08 10:06:00 Surely no-one is taken in by these anymore?

[edit: spammer's website URL removed]

We are a bloody long way from Wakefield Yorkshire although here in Nelson I'm close to Wakefield Nelson that's New Zealand
gary67 (56)
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