|
 |
Scammers get personal: couple's friends targeted
|
| By: Anita Zimmerman |
October 28, 2009 |
|
What unfolds is an oddly written account of international travel gone awry, relayed to every address in their Yahoo account along with a plea for money.
"I had a trip here in England. Unfortunately for me all my money got stolen on my way to the hotel where i lodged long with my bag were my passport was, and since then i have been without any money i am even owing the hotel here," the correspondence reads.
In the next paragraph, the writers-presumably the Nyhuses-ask for $3,500 via a Western Union money transfer. Their location is listed as 103 Harley St., London, United Kingdom.
A building containing medical offices is located at that address.
Of course, the couple didn't actually write the e-mail. They didn't even realize their information had been commandeered until friends and family started responding, Gerhard says.
Cousins in Germany and Norway contacted them, concerned about their safety. Another friend said he couldn't afford to send thousands of dollars, but he was praying for them.
Grace and Gerhard realized an imposter was using their information to target their friends.
As far as they know, no one has been scammed, but the couple has contacted the police, the Dunn County Sheriff's Department and other authorities to try and trace the perpetrator.
They've also taken their computer to be cleaned of any spyware, viruses, malware or other Internet-generated contaminants.
Articles from around the country show this type of impersonation is a common problem. Facebook accounts have been targeted several times in the past year, both through personal messages and chat windows.
In a thread on one Facebook story, a Web developer notes that some viruses are designed to detect keystrokes, including passwords and usernames, and automatically send them to a designated e-mail address.
MSNBC did a story on e-mail and social networking fraud Oct. 6; on Oct. 19, The Irish Times printed a story warning its readers that similar messages had been distributed through a man's Gmail account.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released a nationwide warning on the scams earlier this month.
Recipients of suspicious-sounding e-mails are advised to call their friends to confirm the facts. Western Union advises consumers to educate themselves about potential fraud before sending any money via wire transfer.
|
|
©The Chetek Alert 2010
|
|
|
