Lyme Regis Resident Warns of E-Mail Scam

Chris Joyner, resident of Lyme Regis a small city in the coast of West Dorset, UK and who was once a teacher has cautioned everyone that online scams are circulating ever-since he came to know of a friend who'd been conned off 2,000 pounds. Bridportnews.co.uk reported this on July 1, 2011.

Actually, someone hacked into the Yahoo account of Joyner who stated that the theft had occurred following an electronic mail, which was distributed among each-and-every address on his (Joyner's) friends list asserting that robbers attacked him in Spain. Unsurprisingly, a friend of Joyner wire-transferred the money prior to perceiving he was a victim of the scam. As for Joyner, he came to know of the fraud when a neighbor told him so.

States Joyner that the incident acted as the first clue suggestive of an essentially malicious e-mail scam that had made him the unwitting prey and caused his good friend to lose significant cash. The scam, according to him, is especially malicious since it exploits the most well-intentioned people. Bridportnews.co.uk reported this.

Owing to the above, Joyner warns people of being extremely skeptical of anyone requesting for cash in the said manner.

Unfortunately, he has been targeted with the so-called "Stranded Traveler" scam that's popularly known as the 419 scam or the Nigerian scam, according to security researchers. Although the scam has many variations, they mostly work identically, the researchers add.

Explaining the mode-of-operation the scammers employ, the researchers state that an e-mail accountholder dispatches his contacts an urgent e-mail supposedly from abroad stating that he's been robbed and therefore needs money in order that he can pay his hotel expenses thus far and buy an airline ticket to return home. And as the e-mail seems as arriving from the account of a friend, the message sounds legitimate, although it's a hoax.

Thus netizens are urged for maintaining caution prior to wiring any money.

Moreover, according to the researchers, it's vital that people notify about scams of this type to the online-crime authorities as they're part of a larger mystery however small. The notification is essential for nabbing the true offenders.

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» SPAMfighter News - 7/8/2011