14 DAY TRIAL // I've recently seen several websites displaying warnings against a type of web-based scam. The scammer will send you an e-mail from one of your friend's account or from another address, saying that they're stranded somewhere with no money on them. And of course, they ask for your help and ?some cash. I've written about this before, but it seems that this problem keeps coming back, and now, it even comes through spam.
So, I was at home and after reading my e-mails, I also clicked on the bulk folder in which my Yahoo client stores spam, and there I saw one message from Hajid Rumba. I went and clicked on it. I read something like: "Hey man, It's me, George. I'm writing you from someone else's e-mail address, because I couldn't log on mine. I'm in a Nigerian village close to Kutna Hora (note that Kutna Hora is a city in Europe) and I've lost all my money. I had it in a purse I forgot in a Taxi. Please send my some cash! About $2000 will do. I need to get back home! Please help me. Notice the other, I need the money!" That was what the e-mail said. I had the Yahoo Messenger opened and, since I only know one person by the name of George, I IM-ed him and asked him if he was in Africa. He called me crazy. Of course, that was just an e-mail hoax that I laughed at. Now, as I see it, this scam may come to you in two possible ways.
Either one of your friends gets his e-mail hacked and the scammer sends you a distress message on behalf of his account, or the malicious user sends you a message like the one I got. I believe that it's spam, and that everyone that got it, received it in the same way. I guess that they hope that George is a common name, and that you've got to know at least one person named that way. It's a pretty stupid scam, so you can't possibly fall for it. One silly thing (and a logical question one might ask himself) is - why would George write to me in English, instead of our native language? I think I was just one of the hundreds of targets, so that's why they wrote it in English. If you ever receive such a message, please don't fall for it!