New Threatening E-mail Scam Made Locals of Philadelphia Leave Their Homes

A latest e-mail scam has made the local people afraid to leave their homes in Philadelphia, as reported by PHILADELPHIA/NEWS on December 30, 2008.

Initial reports about scam point out, they will stop for nothing - pick up the people from street, claimed Lynn Powell of Glassboro, New Jersey, as reported by PHILADELPHIA/NEWS on December 30, 2008.

Lynn along with her husband are afraid to go out of their home because of threatening mails she got in her inbox.

Further, the mails which Lynn receives look very official. The mails claim to have arrived from anti-terrorist and monetary crimes division of FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). Investigation also reveals that the mail has a picture of FBI director Robert Muller and the FBI insignia. The mail asks for around $500 to acquire documents from the recipient.

Also, Lynn was informed, through the mail, that if she did not send money within 24 hours, she would be accused and arrested as money lender or terrorist, as reported by PHILADELPHIA/NEWS on December 30, 2008.

After getting these mails, Lynn called the NBC 10 investigators, who later on informed the FBI.

While investigating the case, FBI informed the recipient not to worry unnecessarily as some of their details can be accessed online. These details are picked by hackers who made authentic looking sites.

Further, FBI said that these imitated websites are known as spoofed sites. As the user arrive at one of these sites, he might mistakenly reveal some personal details to hacker, who pick it up, as in this case, for extortion motive.

In addition, FBI also told the ways to distinguish between authentic mails and scams mails; for example, these scam mails contain grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. FBI adds that they originate in Russia and may have private details about the recipient to encourage intimidation.

Meanwhile, FBI also encourages users to be careful of scam mails and not be tense.

Related article: New Zealand Releases Code To Reduce Spam

» SPAMfighter News - 1/9/2009