THIS MESSAGE IS A SCAM THAT WAS SENT TO ME DIRECTLY…HE IS A BIG PLAYER IN THE LDN/CCSVI PART OF MS TREATMENT. I HAVE EXCHANGED E-MAILS WITH HIM,BUT NOT FOR A FEW YEARS.EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE THE SAME IT MAY STILL POSSIBLY APPEAR IN YOUR INBOX
Tom Gilhooly
To Me
Today at 12:16 PM
Hello,
I Hope you get this on time, I made a trip to Melitopol, Ukraine and had my bag stolen from me with my passport and personal effects therein. The embassy has just issued me a temporary passport but I have to pay for a ticket and settle my hotel bills with the Manager.
I have made contact with my bank but it would take me 3-5 working days to access funds in my account, the bad news is my flight will be leaving very soon but I am having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won’t let me leave until I settle the bills, I need your help/LOAN financially and I promise to make the refund once I get back home, you are my last resort and hope, Please let me know if I can count on you and I need you to keep checking your email because it’s the only way I can reach you.
Just a flying visit,but please pass this around as a warning.Dr Tom won’t be very happy,but if his name is being used there may be other scams out there.Praps the MODS might want to inform the MS Society that Dr Tom is having travel difficulties
Replace his name with anyone you have previously corresponded with! His computer - like many others - is probably infected with a trojan, which harvests his e-mail address book contacts, and then sends out this “distress” e-mail to all of them.
Obviously many will dismiss it, and think: “Haven’t corresponded with that person in years, and anyway, never been on close enough terms to lend money…”
But inevitably, some will be close friends and associates, who will think: "Oh no, X is in trouble, better help!
It really could be the name of anyone you’ve ever corresponded with in the “name” field of the scam e-mail. In this case, it just happens to be Tom Gilhooly. But it could be the name of your dear friend you’d do anything for - which is what the scammers are hoping.
Never assume a frantic e-mail purporting to be from a friend or relative really is, especially if it’s out of character - e.g. they hadn’t mentioned any plans to travel to remote or dangeous parts, or if they did, and something happened, you know they’d have enough sense to contact the embassy or consulate.
It makes no sense that a friend who’s been the victim of a crime or accident abroad would e-mail for money, instead of contacting the relevant authorities.
I had this email last December supposedly from a close friend. Obviously a scam as I’d had lunch with her the day before. It can be reported at www.actionfraud.police.uk
A firewall will not stop email or scam emails all modem/routers have a built in firewall these days also so does any windows variation. Firewalls are there to stop dns/dos attacks and obvious port hacks.
Best way I found to not see scam emails or emails to make things bigger is to get yourself either a hotmail/outlook email or gmail.
Those guys know whats a dodgy email is compared to a isp email like BT or Virgin also if you ever switch your service provider you wont lose your email addy.
If you now a person say a friend email and they send you something like cheap watches links etc then they have a virus so its a good idea to forward the email back to them and tell them to get a antivirus program that works.
I know several people who have had this, one person several times from different people. Thanks for the warning Wb - its nice to see you back - if only for a flying visit. Most of us have missed you and a few more flying visits would be appreciated with some of your funnies.
I have had that one and a week or so ago something similar from Joe Wouk. Not sure if it a specific scam to those who are in what might call in the LDN circle or just a money making scam which by coincidence involves LDN / CCSVI.
I suppose it make a change from those that ask you for your bank account details so they can deposite thousands of pounds in it.
