SERIOUS STUFF just got FAKE email saying URGENT, but......

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neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 5, 2009 - 03:11pm PT
hey there all... say,

hey there all, say, i just now got an email in my box, saying:
URGENT... (but this was from a gal that i know that gets seizures, so i feared she was having serious relapse, and needed prayer support)

now, i have seen all the FAKE emails from who-knows-where, and i NEVER open email unless i now the owner, well:

as i said: this gal has seizures, so i feared for her and i open it...
it was NOT from her, or her stle of email AT ALL!!!!!

well, no no nooooooo:


IT WAS AN EMAIL saying she was STRANDED in malaysia, in a hotel, and that she had LOST her "bag" with all her cell phone, and id, etc...

it said she needed 1,000 dollars for getting home, or she would be turned over to the hotel security...

it said she was there for a end race something-or-other, and an aids youth something or others...

oh my!!!! i just emailed her and told her this, so now, i dont know what is up about her email address books, or even about MINE!! ...


DO ANY of you all have any info on this, or what has happened...????
i only go to the same main site, very simple and done have many email accounts, but: my email address is at places like this, for when you have to sign in... not sure, if it is anywhere else...???

1--also---i do NOT know why it was sent to me, and my email... she DOES have my email, so was i in her ADDRESS book and this is going to all us in her book...

2--OR---was my email singled out, but if so---WHY did it send to her, and WILL IT??? send to all of you, too...

3--IS THIS A GROUP thing, we are both in the EPILEPSY group...

4--if THIS has happend to your, from me, or from anyone PLEASE PLEASE POST UP HERE and let us know...

5-sadly now, I HAVE opened her/this mail... will this start A CHAIN reacation???

6--since i HAVE opened, i think i WILL REOPEN it and forward it to the YAHOO SPAM SUSPISCION email center...

7---any and ALL email help, please list here..

thanks guys and love from ol' neebee... who is very shocked and concerened now.... and fearing for MY good email name, next... :(
lansing

Mountain climber
San Francisco, CA
Nov 5, 2009 - 03:20pm PT
A similar thing happened to a friend of mine a few months ago. Somebody gained access to his Facebook account (long story but it happens all the time) and send out messages to a bunch of his friends saying that he was in London, in deep trouble, needed cash wired ASAP, etc. The scammers were fairly persistent and he wasn't able to get rid of them until he contacted Facebook to get his password reset.

Basically, I would not freak out over this-- it is a really common scam these days. Just let your friend know that she needs to change her email password, check her computer for malware, and so on.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 5, 2009 - 03:29pm PT
hey there lansing... say, thanks a lot....

this makes more sense now...

i have NEVER been on facebook,
BUT NOW:

i am, and, she is too....
perhaps that is why i never had this trouble for the past
past years?

hahaha, oh my... perhaps i should NOT have done this, IF facebook is so unreliable, oh no...


but---i did this so to see my kids more often, as they NEVER
email me.... :(


well, thank you SO VERY very very kindly... man oh man, all we have is our good name, and worth more than gold it is...

though others want it to be "their gold" and our tarnish... :(

thanks again and god bless...
think i will go and post a note on the ol' face book about this, in case someone ever uses my name next... :O

god bless, and have a great supertopo and great outdoors today...
>:D<

Jingy

Social climber
Flatland, Ca
Nov 5, 2009 - 03:39pm PT
neebee - I'm thinking that someone in the chain of emails that was initially attacked has had their email account/address book compromised.

In other words...

If I wanted to have all your friends send me $1000 because of some fake reason, and I had access to your email address book, I could just send an email to each of your friends in the book...

I can;t imagine that this was an attack on you, from the sound of the text of the email it leaves me thinking of a phishing expedition, again, just asking for money to be sent, but no real detail as to the whereabouts of said friend, or contact information for the asking party.


Either way, just delete the email, and alert your friend to the incident. It should be resolved once you have added a block to the email address of the sender.

Or just delete it, and forget it!

Good luck with that
Forest

Trad climber
Denver, CO
Nov 5, 2009 - 04:01pm PT
There was a recent rash of hacking into hotmail, gmail, and yahoo email accounts. Mostly by guessing stupid passwords (apparently 12345 was the most common.) They hack in, set the reply-to header to a similar but different address, then send out emails asking for money. They're hoping that you won't notice that the reply went to a slightly different email so that when you respond it goes to the attackers.

Basically, she needs to change her password to something more secure.
LimeyDave

climber
Nov 5, 2009 - 04:17pm PT
If I had $1 for every similar phishing email / scam or link from a hacked friend on Facebook I've had, I wouldn't need to pretend I was a Nigerian Bank president anymore.

This comes under the things not to be concerned about.

Things on the to be concerned about list include:

Using your debit card online instead of your credit card (credit cards are their money and insured, your debit card is harder to fix)

Any time you send any password, SS# or banking information in an email

Another republican administration (couldn't resist)

Milktoast for Supreme Ruler for Life!!!!one!!
Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber
Fruita, Colorado
Nov 5, 2009 - 04:20pm PT
Would everyone just go ahead and send me a hundred right now?

Pat
1330 E. Carolina Ave.
Fruita, CO 81521
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 5, 2009 - 04:23pm PT
hey there say, thanks all....

you know... i think i saw some kind of address in this one at the bottom.. i wonder if i can report that address to the yahoo folks? thanks a lot everyone...

i did send her an email too....

it was odd, too----the email seemed to be sent to her, but it came to me???


edit: well, in the upper part, after it was opened, that is...


edit: wow, pat, if i could, i would... and i'd send you a gift, too, to help you feel better... i will STILL try to do that, though...
say, smile!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 5, 2009 - 04:28pm PT
hey there all, say, here is the address at the bottom of it:


Address: 24B Taman Loke Mengkung, Bandar Melaka, Malaysia
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
Nov 5, 2009 - 05:33pm PT
hey neebee, doing a google search, that address shows up in a bunch of fake postings. you are not the only one getting these:

http://www.google.com/search?q=%2224B+Taman+Loke+Mengkung%2C+Bandar+Melaka%2C+Malaysia

Reilly

Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
Nov 5, 2009 - 05:48pm PT
Why don't we all send a box of doggy poo to that address?
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Nov 5, 2009 - 06:38pm PT
If you have a little time try trolling the scammers. Sound really concerned and offer to get even MORE money but there is a little problem, etc., etc.

Make them expend a lot of energy for naught before you drop the F-bomb.
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C. Small wall climber.
Nov 5, 2009 - 06:50pm PT
The Atlantic did a funny article about these scams. It seems that there is a group of anti-spammers, who delight in turning the tables on these people, and get them to do idiotic and expensive things. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200706/cyberscam
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Nov 5, 2009 - 07:44pm PT
Anders,
that was a terrific article.
Now I want to read one of his books.
kev

climber
A pile of dirt.
Nov 5, 2009 - 07:51pm PT
Neebee,

There was a great bit on NPR about scamming the scammers a while back too.

Pay no attention to them - they're not worth you trouble...But if you're vengeful then lead them on an take joy in scamming them!

good luck!


kev
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 6, 2009 - 01:15am PT
hey there all, say, thanks for all the info and help and even some laughs, from you all..

say, for an update, the gal at the epilepsy site, that i know, has now found out about her acccount being used (not sure, if she learned, cause i sent her an emaill, or if others had done so)... but:

she send out a letter to all of us, to let us know---mainly to let us know not to reply, or they possible may get our account info too (????)...

oh well---i did reply to the fake one, but i had feared that even opening it had been bad... :(


*well, still not sure which of her accounts they got into but from what i heard from a few folks, perhaps the facebook one, was the one...

so--hopefully this one episode is over now... :O
once again, thanks all..



edit: say, great info to learn of these folks, mighty hiker.. wow..
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