Hi, my hubby is into cine films and got an e mail last night, supposedly from a supplier he buys films from.
It read that he was currently in Spain, with his siter who is dying of cancer. He said the treatment was costly and he needs to borrow money to pay for her treatment. It then asked for a loan and promised to pay to back as soon as he could.
How sickening is this? It is particulalry upsetting for my hubby, as his own sister, in Canada, is in fear of losing her life , as brain and lung cancer has returned to her, after being successfully treated a year ago.
You just cant get over how vile some folk can be.
Hubby rang the chap who was duped and he said, hes had hundreds of calls from customers who also received this. The police say it was originated abroad and they cant do anything about it, except build up a file. Many others are targetted by this scum too.
This makes me so mad. About 18 months ago we had an email come from abroad from a friend of ours (or so we thougght). The email stated he had an accident and although he had trravel insurance, they would not accept it, so he asked could he use our card to pay, and reimburse us on his return.
Me, being a soft toouch immediately thought yes, but hubby thought it sounded wrong, so rang this friends phone, and low and behold he was at home, not on holiday at all.
Apparently, someone had hacked his laptop and sent the same email to all his contacts!
We were so relieved that hubby had smelt a rat! Police could do nothing but put out a warning in the local press.
The previous scam was an email from someone you corresponded with:
“The family came down/up/over to XXXX on holiday and we got robbed. Desperately need ££££/$$$$ to get new passports and fly home. Can you help?”
Of course, it was not from them at all. But they did have copying someone’s style right down perfect. I got one “from” a guy I had given a computer to, and he always put his name in CAPS, and so did the fraudsters. What they did not know was that he was grossly obese, had just had a stroke, was awaiting an operation, and there was no way he would have taken the family to the Phillipines. Another one was a Canadian who had brought his family down to Orlando (only he was a she).
Before the days of WWW, the favourite approach in California was along the lines of:
“I came here for a job interview, my sister/brother/mother is seriously ill back in [pick any state that does not have a common border with California] and I need a few $$ for gas to get home”
I got hit upon everyday for a week in the LA County Hospital by the same woman, and when my wife joined me two weeks later (our son was in there with cancer), she got the same shpeil and outstretched hand.
A hundred years ago it was probably a request for the rail fare “home” - where home was a long way away.
Nothing really changes.
Thanks for your email, I’m in Kharkov, Ukraine right now for a short business trip and I’m short on cash right here, I tried to access my account from the cash machines here and it’s not working, I went to the bank to withdraw and I was informed that I cannot withdraw money from my account in some countries,that it’s network errors, I’m thinking if I could get a quick loan of £1,450 from you or anything you can afford to loan me so that I can clear some little things here and also take a cab to the airport. I promise to refund it as soon as I get back home on Wednesday, let me know so I can send you my details.Thanks for your email, I’m in Kharkov, Ukraine right now for a short business trip and I’m short on cash right here, I tried to access my account from the cash machines here and it’s not working, I went to the bank to withdraw and I was informed that I cannot withdraw money from my account in some countries,that it’s network errors, I’m thinking if I could get a quick loan of £1,450 from you or anything you can afford to loan me so that I can clear some little things here and also take a cab to the airport. I promise to refund it as soon as I get back home on Wednesday, let me know so I can send you my details.
It makes me sooooooooooooo ANGRY! Don’t fall for it good people!
GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I had this one just 2 days ago:
Thanks for your email, I’m in Kharkov, Ukraine right now for a short business trip and I’m short on cash right here, I tried to access my account from the cash machines here and it’s not working, I went to the bank to withdraw and I was informed that I cannot withdraw money from my account in some countries,that it’s network errors, I’m thinking if I could get a quick loan of £1,450 from you or anything you can afford to loan me so that I can clear some little things here and also take a cab to the airport. I promise to refund it as soon as I get back home on Wednesday, let me know so I can send you my details.
Makes my blood boil! Don’t fall for it good people. xx