Scammers Worry Greenwich Inhabitant with New Rogue E-Mail

Erf Porter an inhabitant of Greenwich (UK) recently became a victim of a scam electronic mail, published. Greenwichcitizen.com dated October 19, 2011.

Actually family, friends and acquaintances of Porter received an e-mail, which described him as in an extremely hopeless situation.

The fake electronic mail supposedly from Porter, enquiring the recipient's well-being, stated that the sender had arrived in England to enjoy a brief holiday, but, muggers attacked him in the hotel's premises that he had lodged into. While the thieves took away everything from him, including cash, credit cards and mobile phone, his passport remained intact, the message outlined.

Porter seemingly contacted the Police as well as the Embassy, but they'd declined from providing any help, while his flight was scheduled for the next day. Meanwhile, he was finding it difficult for clearing the hotel expenses as also the manager wasn't allowing him to check out till he paid the bills. Therefore, he was imploring the reader to send him some money, the e-mail concluded.

Alas, according to security researchers, hackers hijacked Porter's e-mail account and after which compromised the e-mail ids of his contacts.

Disturbingly, the mode-of-operation of the above e-mail scam called the "stranded traveler's scam" in reality is pretty sophisticated. That's because, these forms of scams try to abuse the e-mail receiver's sympathy by claiming that the e-mail sender, similar to Porter within the current instance, is having terrible problems in a foreign country, like Porter inside far-off London. Hence, it is safest for ignoring these rogue e-mails as answering them will suggest the fraudsters about the responder's electronic mail address as being active, the researchers add.

Besides, there are more common clues that suggest the fraudulence of "stranded traveler's scam" e-mails like their headers are written in upper cases, while the language utilized is poor and needn't be English only.

Conclusively, the researchers urge end-users for being vigilant about any incoming e-mail, which requests for money-transfer, as within the aforementioned instance, no matter if that e-mail arrives from someone close. Essentially, it's suggestible that recipients first contact that person over phone before embarking on any action, they add.

Related article: Scammers Exploit Tax System Resulting in ID Theft

» SPAMfighter News - 10/31/2011