Email Account of Chairman of Cheltenham RNLI Hacked

Gloucestershireeecho.co.uk reported on 18th November, 2014 stating that Internet users have been warned to look for an elaborate email scam as John Couch, Chairman of Cheltenham RNLI branch has been attacked.

It has been noted that RNLI is a charity which saves lives at sea and Cheltenham is located in Gloucestershire, England.

Cyber criminals hacked Yahoo email account of Couch and then sent an email to contacts saying that he has been "robbed" in Turkey and urgently needs 1,450 Pound to clear hotel bill as "emergency help".

Gloucestershireecho.co.uk reported on 18th November, 2014 quoting Couch who spoke from his home in Gloucestershire as saying "I was alarmed by this invasion and is also worried that others may be duped by this sting."

Couch said that bottom line is RNLI's name has been spoiled by this as the email gains a certain amount of 'credibility' by using its name.

Couch added: "I have been embarrassed to receive several calls from people to tell me that this has happened and wanted to know what I am going to do about it. I can only tell them to delete the email immediately. I have to check all my financial accounts and emails but it seems that they only hacked my email account."

Unfortunately, Couch was struck by an "emergency scam" which is perpetrated online usually when email account of someone has been hacked like Couch's account in the above case. Security officials explain that urgent and fake emails are sent to contacts of that person requesting for some immediate cash like in the above case.

How do incident like this take place? Tech pundits say that creation of Web-based email accounts and social networking websites like Facebook offer easy pickings to scammers who are keen on impersonating.

Therefore if you receive such emails, you should first verify the identity of the sender by asking a question that personal that an unfamiliar person shall not be capable of answering.

Also you should try to call up the sender and if you can't reach him or her by calling then try to phone up his/her family even if when have been told to keep things hush-hush.

» SPAMfighter News - 11/27/2014