I see messages like this occasionally. Unfortunately, I know people who have fallen for them and sent money. That's the real tragedy. Messages like this are scams, pure and simple. Delete these messages, don't reply to them.
This particular message claims to have been sent from the pacbell.net domain, but actually entered the mail stream from the listed yahoo.com address.
From: Patrick Bitz ptbitz@pacbell.net
Subject: Sad Trip!!!
Reply-To: ptbitz@yahoo.com
I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,my family and i came down here to London,UK for a short vacation to visit a resort and got mugged at gun point last night at the park of the hotel where we lodged.All cash,credit cards and cell were stolen off me.I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all,our flight leaves today and I'm having problems settling the hotel bills, we still have some money in our account but we don't have access to it right from here.
The hotel manager won't let us leave until i settle the hotel bills(£1,650GBP)now am freaked out.Please reply and let me if can you have the money wire to me through western union i promise to pay back as soon as i get back home.
Thanks
Patrick T. Bitz
Main Street Financial Services
2186-C Rheem Dr
Pleasanon, CA 94588
Bus 925-484-3829
Fax 925-494-3272
Cell 925-848-9590
E-mail ptbitz@pacbell.net
The code behind this thing is very sophisticated. I just received one and as I wasn't sure whether the scammer had got my friend Veronica's email address from me, or my email address from her, I forwarded a copy to her warning her that I'd had a scam email pretending to be from her.
ReplyDeleteEven though I very carefully put her real email address in the "To:" box, it highjacked the email, sent it to the fake ID at Yahoo instead (not even as well as, but instead) and replied thus:
It's me. this is for real, i'm doing everything i can to work my way out of here peacefully.. i have checked with the consulate but there is nothing really working out, most important is i don't have enough money on me, please i need you to loan me some, i can pay you back in couple of days. all I need now is just 2,720 Euros or anything you can afford, You can have it wired to my name via Western Union anything you send will really go a long way for me here i'll have to show my passport as ID to pick it up here and i promise to pay you back as soon as I get back home. Here's my info below
Name:- Veronica Simmons
Address:Avenida de la Hispanidad 2 4, 28036
Madrid
I still have my passport so I can use it as identification, e-mail me the western union scan receipt once you are done..
Veronica..
My wife just received this one and so I decided to play along and see just how far they could push it.
ReplyDeleteThey keep responding to every email but as soon as I asked a simple question, in this case, "what is your daughter's name", they got all defensive and wondered why I was doubting them.
It's a clever scam, but I just don't see how they can extract the money on this one.
Just got the same thing - from an "old friend of mine" and yes I sent her a separate email warning her of this and it came back - so they must have hacked into her account completely.
DeleteDon't believe the scam !!
I just had the same thing happen to me! Here's what they wrote the first email:
ReplyDeleteHi,
I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,i came down here to Madrid Spain. for a short vacation to visit a resort and got mugged at gun point last night at the park of the hotel where i lodged.All cash,credit cards and cell were stolen off me.I've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all,my flight leaves today and I'm having problems settling the hotel bills.
The hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the hotel bills which is 1,850 Euro or anything you can afford now am freaked out.Please reply back and let me know if you will be able to loan me the cash so that i can give you the necessary details you will need to get the cash to me via western union money transfer, i promise to pay you back as soon as i get home.
so I replied:
Dennis,
Call me so I hear your voice to confirm this is you and I'll loan you the money. Cell: (my cell phone)
They replied:
m so glad you replied back,I can't call or receive call here cos the hotel manager did not let me have access to any of there phone facilities which is the reason why i need you to help me out of here, I have nothing left on me right now but am very lucky to have my life and passports with me, it would have been worst if the muggers had made away with my passports.
Well All i need now is just 1,850 Euro, You can have it wired to my name via any Western Union Outlet around you..... I'll have to show my passport as ID to pick it up here and i promise to pay you back as soon as I get back home hopefully today. Here is my info where you will wire the money to:
Name:- my friend's name
Address:Avenida de la Hispanidad 2 4, 28036
Madrid
As soon as it has been done, kindly get back to me with the western union confirmation number... Let me know if you are heading to the Western Union outlet now.
so I replied:
Dennis,
Give me the hotel number and I will call you. I have to verify this is indeed you.
then they replied:
Omg!!! are you Doubting me if i wasn't the one i won't have ask you to wire money to my name via western union and you and i know that the only way i can pick up the money is my passport as an id and right now am mentally unbalanced at the moment as i can't think straight at the moment so just let me know if you are heading to the western union now.
i owe you a lot
---------- SCAM!!!!
I looked up the address they provided and thank goodness I found your comment here and the next reply. I wasnt sending any money anywhere without knowing it was my friend.
Are they going to hijack my email now because I responded? ???????????
what do I do now that I replied? Can they now hijack my email and personal information on my signture line? ?????????????????? :-/!!!!
ReplyDelete