Today, I received a strange email from a friend's old email account. In it, he claims to be in Nigeria for the "Tinapa Opening Ceremony". The email continued that his money was stolen at the hotel by some armed robbers and that he had no money left. He asked the recipients of the email to please send him $2,500 for his mounting hotel bills that he will repay once he's back home from his travel.
Armed robbers supposedly stormed his hotel room and yet the hotel still charges him his daily hotel stay? I just laughed because it sounded ludicrous aside from the fact that in the Philippines, Tinapa is a kind of dried fish. Either he was sending a practical joke email or his email was hijacked by a Nigerian scammer. Hours later, he sends an email from his newer email address warning us that his old email address was hacked.
A few days ago, another friend looking for an apartment via Craigslist.org called me asking for advice. He said that a Pastor and his wife were subletting their apartment for only $600 while they were outside the country. It was such a good deal that my friend actually called the number in West Africa and spoke to this "Pastor". He had a heavy accent and was supposedly in West Africa (read Nigeria) with his wife on a prolonged stay. In the Craigslist posting, he said his wife was in Canada. Anyway, he couldn't show my friend the place because they were both out of the country but would send him the keys after he sends the money for the deposit and rent. This one smelled as bad as the "Tinapa Opening ceremony". I told him to continue looking and stop wasting his time with this "Pastor".
A few months back when Hubby posted something to sell on Ebay, he was contacted by someone who supposedly wanted to buy his item but would send him an international money order for an amount bigger than what he was asking for, but asked that Hubby give himself a big tip and return the balance to the supposed buyer via another international money order. The tone of the email had the same kind of writing that usually came with the original Nigerian email scam promising millions of dollars in a secret European account of a dead relative to a person who can pay for the processing fees to have it released. It has just evolved into many other forms.
These scams are now widely publicized, and have even been exposed by NBC Dateline. They even got a few of these scammers to come and meet them in London and Amsterdam for the "hand-off" of fees in exchange for part of the hidden millions. Everything was filmed via hidden cameras. Amazingly, a lot of people still fall for it - those hoping for a windfall of some sort.
Who doesn't want to get rich? I definitely wouldn't mind it. But if a business transaction sounds too good to be true, chances are, it is!
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5 comments:
I love you for posting this, as ai just got one of these "help" emails from a con pretending to be a young friend!
I'm glad to be of help! Happy that this post actually served to warn someone.
Hope your friend's alright.
I also have recieved a e-mail from a freind who I have not heard from in a few years stating the same scenario: She needs $1500 to pay her hotel bill and will pay back when she returns home.If it looks like a duck,quacks like a duck.......
ha! My mom just received the same email as I was standing next to her. Apparently, the Tinapa Opening Ceremony is in London this time around.
Sad I really can't be there. LOL
It's such a nice hotel.
I can't email them back. :[ Boo.
I got an identical e-mail from an old friend, who would not use the language used in the e-mail. If it really happened, there would have been a hint of something special, which I could recognise, thus as bonafide.
Earlier, a few months ago, the same thing happened when a friend with whom we exchange mails and literally talk everyday sent me an e-mail from London, saying he needed about $960 for his flight and hotel/restaurant bill as his wallet had been stolen with all his money, credit cards and passport. He also did ask not to call him, just send the money. As that person has helped financially on many occasions,I called him, and he told me that a hacker had stolen a part of his hard disc and hijacked info from his computer.
I am copying here the text of the mail I got today.
Hi,
I am in a hurry writing this mail. I had a trip to Nigeria visiting the tinapa opening ceremony. Unfortunately for me all my money and my phone got stolen at the hotel where i lodged from the attack of some armed robbers and since then i have been without any money i am even owing the hotel here,So i have only access to emails,and i can only use the receptionist phone.
Please can you lend me $2,500 so i can pay my hotel bills, i would return your money back to you as soon as i get home, I am so confused right now.You can have it sent through western union or money gram.I think when i am back, i will explain to you better.
I have already spoken to the hotel manager, please let me hear from you so that i can give you the information you can send the money to.. I am waiting for your reply.
Thank you.
a tip..never write back to the e-mail address from where you got the scam...they may hack your computer too.
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