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? ?????????????????? :-/!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe address is the Hilton Madrid Airport hotel. Looks like they've been using this address for at least a year. Couldn't the Madrid police set up some kind of sting operation to catch them when they attempt to pick up the money? Or do they not need to physically be present to collect?
ReplyDeleteReceivers Address: Comte d´Aiamans 14, Plaza España, 07360 Lloseta · Mallorca,
ReplyDeleteCountry: Spain
As soon as it has been done, kindly get back to me with the Transfer details.Let me know if you are heading to the WU outlet now.I owe you a Lot
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 5:57:55 PM
Subject: RE: Sad Trip...Please Help!!!!!
I'm ready to help...How do you want me to help you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2012 12:16:57 +0100
Subject: Sad Trip...Please Help!!!!! To:
How are you doing? Hope you slept well, I'm writing this with tears in my eyes, My family and I came down here to Spain for a short vacation unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed,all cash,credit card and mobile phone were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.
We've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves any moment from today but we're having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills,
I'm freaked out at the moment.....I need your help out ??
Thanks
XXXX
I received exact same message & Its a SCAM...I got to know that its a scam after calling my friend.
ReplyDeleteBeware of these Guys
Is this a virus, or has someone 'hacked' into someones computer?
ReplyDeleteIt didn't sound like my relative, so I knew it wasn't right. I did all the anti scans, but didn't pick up anything.
How is this stopped. And, as we are 'in' Europe, and there is a Spanish address, why don't the Spanish police take action?
These sad, nasty characters need to be stopped!
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI have the same kind of email, I respond to them and they gave me an address in Spain, where I should send them money by WU.
Location: Calle de Amadeo de Saboya, 16
46010 Valencia, Spain
So I checked in google map and I found it is the address of the HOTEL WESTIN VALENCIA.
I called them and unfortunately the woman of the desk told me that they just left.
Funny or scary but I finally reached my friend and actually she's never been to Spain !!!
be aware
If you are the person who's account sent this email out, is there anything you can do? I changed my password, but it was after they trashed my entire inbox and changed the password on my Facebook account.
ReplyDeleteI guess they are in the Philippines now - I just got this email this morning.
ReplyDeleteHello
I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,my family and I came down here to Philippines for a short vacation and unfortunately we got mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed,all cash,credit card and cell were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.
We've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in few hours from now but we're having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills,
I'm freaked out at the moment and i need your help
I'm in some terrible and horrible situation,I came down here to London, United Kingdom for a program and I was robbed at gun point last night, I misplaced my wallet on my way back to my hotel after I went for sight seeing. The wallet contained all the valuables I had. Now, my passport is in custody of the hotel management pending when I make payment.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry if i am inconveniencing you, but i have only very few people to run to now. i will be indeed very grateful if i can get a loan of $1,880 from you. this will enable me sort my hotel bills and get my sorry self back home. I will really appreciate whatever you can afford in assisting me with. I promise to refund it in full as soon as I return. let me know if you can be of any assistance. Please, let me know soonest. Thanks so much.
Write me so I can let you know how to send it.
Thanks.
I just received this one.. Thank god for sites like this one!! Otherwise I would've been hooked!
Oh no they still are in Madrid, Spain. I got this email from my Lawyer who is processing my Canadian Immigration case.
ReplyDeleteI'm writing this with tears in my eyes,my fam and I came down here to MADRID, Spain for a short vacation unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed,all cash,credit card and mobile phone were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.
"We've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves few hrs from now but the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills.
Am freaked out at the moment..."
He left for Canada for work 3 weeks back and was supposed to return somewhere in mid-November. Therefore, when I got this email I thought he must have gone to Spain for a vacation on his way back home. I replied to the email emphathizing with him and in return got an email back to wire $2450. We have been corresponding through email for last 1 year so I was aware of his way of writing and instantly knew that it was a phishing scam. I googled and found this website which confirmed my doubt.
Thanks for posting.