URGENT YOU ALL READ THIS

[SammyQ]

Allegedly, from Dodge and his Missus, straight into my work email:

"I do hope you get this fast, I came down to Ukraine with my family for a short vacation, unfortunately we got mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed. They stole our cash, credit cards and cellphones, but thank God we still have our lives and passports. The hotel manager has been unhelpful to us for reasons I don't know and I'm writing to you from a local library.

I've reported the situation to the police and after writing down some statements, I've not heard from them. I contacted the consulate and all I keep hearing is that they will get back to me. Our return flight leaves soon, I need you to help me out with a quick loan to settle our bills here so we can get back home. I'll refund the money as soon as we return home safely.

We look forward to hearing from you!.

Sarah & Roger"

EDIT: This is indeed a Trojan or similar; just spoken to Roger and his phone is ringing constantly to alert him to it. He asks that no-one uses his emails in any posts as this will possibly inflate the problem beyond the 'infected' address, which is used by his wife.

Sam

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

This a pretty common scam. Just get the affected party to run a deep clean with reputable virus software and you should be fine.

 

[Dodge]

Appears our BT account was hacked and now sorted hopefully - accounts changed with BT/ passwords changed etc

So just to let you know - I am not in Ukraine, I know I have been rather quiet on here lately but just busy busy busy!!

 

[Mike.C]

Sammy did the message use your first name?

It just shows how careful you have to be because I am sure a few people would have fell for a message from a personal friend.

Dodge do you know if it was just your account that has been hacked or has bt got a problem themselves?

Thanks for letting us know.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Dodge]

Mike, all our PCs have been fully scanned with nothing found - I have my suspicions that it is a problem at BT! I have heard of other BT account holders who have had similar happen in the last week or so!

 

[Mike.C]

Thanks Roger, I'm with bt so I will keep an eye on things.

Cheers

Mike

 

[CHJ]

The last time we encountered this was with a USA based friends details it was not his machines that had been compromised but his e-mail account and details had been harvested off someone else's machine.

Another thing to avoid is a "friend" that insists on promulgating any jokes or 'interesting' info. to everybody on their mailing list in the To: or CC: fields.

We had on such a 'friend' who had 60 e-mail destinations in the header, a real boon to anyone looking to harvest a ready made spam list. And can rapidly get them and you on a black list.

 

[Mike.C]

The last time we encountered this was with a USA based friends details it was not his machines that had been compromised but his e-mail account and details had been harvested off someone else's machine.

Another thing to avoid is a "friend" that insists on promulgating any jokes or 'interesting' info. to everybody on their mailing list in the To: or CC: fields.

We had on such a 'friend' who had 60 e-mail destinations in the header, a real boon to anyone looking to harvest a ready made spam list. And can rapidly get them and you on a black list.

Snap we had the same sort of friend, who for some reason put any Tom, Dick or Harry in her contacts and then used to forward any old rubbish she received to us all. The header as you say was unbelievable long.

Dodge,

I have just been in contact with bt and they claim that there is nothing wrong their end and that the person I was talking about must have clicked on a phishing link in an email which I am sure you never did. But then they were never going to admit if they were compromised.

Cheers

Mike

 

[SammyQ]

Mike? No, there was no personal touch, just the message as I posted it above.

Sam

 

[Dodge]

It just proves however careful you are there is some little scrote out there trying to relieve you of your hard earned - Sorry but am rather naffed off with it all!

 

[graduate_owner]

We had an almost identical email (but different location) from a couple who claimed to be our friends - but I can't quite place them. Anyhow we had a follow up e,ail the following day from the same friends to say they were actually in the UK and hadn't been on holiday.

So, there are probably a number of these scammers around.

We also had a telephone call from someone telling us they were Microsoft certified engineers and our computer was flagging up problems. I hadn't realised this old chestnut was still being tried. Anyhow I told them I didn't have a computer. Next time I'll string them along for as long as I can - see how they like having their time wasted.

Having said that, our neighbour was taken in about 2 months ago, and the caller wanted about £120 to 'fix' her computer - i.e. re-set the password which he had changed. She took the laptop back to the shop and they sorted it for her.

K

 

[RogerP]

............
We also had a telephone call from someone telling us they were Microsoft certified engineers and our computer was flagging up problems. I hadn't realised this old chestnut was still being tried. Anyhow I told them I didn't have a computer. Next time I'll string them along for as long as I can - see how they like having their time wasted. ........

Over time I've had three or four of these calls. Last time I did string them along, playing the dumbo (not hard), kept saying I couldn't find what it was they wanted me to press or click on. He was patient for quite a while but got more and more frustrated. Finally, after about 15 minutes, when I let on I was running Linux he just cut off the call.

 

[Mike.C]

Mike? No, there was no personal touch, just the message as I posted it above.

Sam

Ok Sam, the only reason I asked was to see if the scum had actually gotten into Dodge's emails, in other words read his personal emails to you and used your name. But it looks like he/she has got hold of his contact list.
If he had actually used a Christian name I think a lot more people would fall for the scam. In fact the banks do tell you to look and see if your name is used, or is it a Dear Sir, because your own bank will use your name.

Cheers

Mike

 

[doorframe]

You all seem to have missed the point. What about the poor chap and his family who are stuck in Ukraine with no cash, cards or phone. Who's going to help him?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

 

[Dodge]

You all seem to have missed the point. What about the poor chap and his family who are stuck in Ukraine with no cash, cards or phone. Who's going to help him?

#-o #-o

 

[RogerS]

What I don't understand is where the scam is....where is the money going....was there a link in the email?

 

[devonwoody]

Things on the web seem to be getting worse, (myself and neighbour got hit the other week the same day).

The latest with Santander just goes to show our things could go further, what if the staff, empoyees or management of a bank decide to participate in such a scam?

It could mean us all going manual with our cash again, and visitung the coffee shop in the City of London was it named Lloyds?

Pleased to learn that Dodge did not suffer that attack. :wink:

 

[Richard T]

Roger? Stuck in Ukraine? Without a Land Rover?

Highly suspicious. :-k [-(

 

[Dodge]

Come on Guys - I'm not in the Ukraine - get back in your workshops and start doing something constructive - WIPs are the way to go folks!!!!