Tuesday, October 12, 2010

MY ORDEAL!!!

Have you recieved an email with those words in the header and then, a message like this?


"My family and I came down here to London, United Kingdom for a short vacation. Unfortunately, we were mugged at the hotel park where we stayed, all cash and credit cards were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.

We have been to the Embassy and the Police here but they are not responding to the issue effectively and our flight leaves in few hours from now, but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us check out until we sort out the bills. Well I need you to loan us $2,350 USD? and please bear in mind that I'll facilitate your reimbursement as soon as we get home. I PROMISE!

Let me know if you can loan me some $$? so I can let you know how to get it to me. Here are the numbers to the hotel manager +447024097585 or +447024033656 and his name is John Williams."


 I received a few of these throughout the Summer and guessed that friend's email had been hacked. I figured that most folks would come to the same conclusion...
Turns out I was wrong.
One friend who supposedly was stuck in London, I knew her family was traveling in New England (USA), told me that her husband's cousin's wife had received the email, called the number, wired a few thousand dollars, and THEN called her to make sure she got it! If only she had called her BEFORE she sent it!

So at first I was thinking that people have to be pretty dumb to fall for this, now I think they are just nice, sensitive, generous people.
Why?
Because my husband just came running down stairs saying,
"OMG, did you get email from the Florances? I can't believe it!"
And I said, "Don't."
I know he is no dummy and that he is kind and sensitive. I don't think he would have sent money without calling. But it made me realize how truly affective these scams are.
And that I am a mean cynic!



8 comments:

Susan R said...

Well, I have a boring and not even interesting story about this exact thing. Suffice it to say that if my friends are traveling overseas and something happens....I'm sorry to say.....I would be demanding some kind of proof before I started opening up my wallet. An email wouldn't do the trick.

Anonymous said...

I haven't gotten any of those, but I have gotten random ones from fake oil companies informing me if I give them my full name, phone number, address and bank account they're deposit 1000 pounds that I "won." Riiiight.

Preppy Pink Crocodile said...

I get these emails all the time from random addresses. Several times from the names of people I know. I've never fallen for it but I could see how it might happen. They must work because I get them all the time too.

Joyce said...

I had a similiar email from a blogger I knew was traveling. A virus got into her contact list. Why oh why do these peeps have to make everyone's life difficutlt? I am glad this didn't happen to your friends. I am also glad your husband kind heart didn't get stepped on. xo

Formerly known as Frau said...

I hate those emails, I really feel for the ones that fall for it though!

OHN said...

I'm too cheap and suspicious. I would grill anyone asking for money. Heck, I even need the Girl Scouts to be in uniform, with a note from their troop leader, and swear an oath before I buy their cookies ;)

Suzy said...

Once in NY my then fiance came home feeling all proud of himself because he gave a stranger 20 bux. The guy "Just needed enough money to catch a train back to Connecticutt" since his wallet was stolen and the tkt and his cash was in there.

So my dummy gave him the 20. I told him he got ripped off and he called me a hard hearted cynic. I asked him if the guy had asked for his address so he could send him back the 20 and my dummy said yes.

There was also a scam where a guy carries an empty gas can and just needs money for a few gallons to get him home.

My dummy was so shocked he never got his money back to which I replied Duh.

Kim said...

Somebody just hacked my email this morning and sent those out. I've received three phone calls and four facebook messages....so glad my friends have been giving me the heads up. Now to find out how bad the damage is to the computer....ugh. Thought the big firewalls and super security would handle it. I guess I thought wrong.