Plea for Help From a Friend Abroad Who Lost A Wallet- Fiction! & Scam!
Summary of eRumor:
This is an urgent request for funds from a friend or a loved one that says they have lost their wallet and valuables while travelling in a foreign country.
The Truth:
This is a scam by thieves who have hijacked email accounts and no attempt to respond to this email should be made.
If you get such an email from someone that you know you should call them by telephone and alert them that their email account and password may have been compromised. They should contact their Internet provider or email customer service representative to inquire as how to best remedy this security breech.
This serves as a reminder that we should always have virus protection software current and never reply to emails that may be cleverly disguised to appear as though they came from agencies, institutions and companies that we know. They are in reality phishing attempts to get our personal and confidential information. Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information.
Updated 2/7/2011