Friday, July 30, 2010

Con Game

I received an email last night at 8 pm from a relative in Chennai. He is doing export business and travels all over the world very often. I have reproduced his email to me (without changing anything):

“How are you?Am in a hurry writing you this note,Just wanted to seek your help on something very important, you are the only person i could reach at this point, and i hope you come to my aid because something very terrible is happening to me now,i need a favor from you now, I had a trip here in London (UK) . Unfortunately for me I got mugged at gun point on my way to the hotel where i lodged.They went away with all i have got on me including my wallet where i have all my cash and credit card and also my cell phone.I wasn't injured because I quickly complied.Since then i have been without any money, I am even owing the hotel bills here and I don't have a return ticket back home becaues I bought a one-way ticket.Presently, my documents are been held down by the hotel management pending the time i am able to clear bills.I contacted the police here and they only asked me to write a statement about the incident and I also contacted my embassy but they could only help me replace my missing passport.I have limited access to emails for now, please i need you to lend me about 1350 British Pounds so i can make arrangements and return back please,i have spoken to the embassy here but they are not responding to the matter effectively, I will return the money back to you as soon as i get home, I am so confused right now.

I will be waiting to hear from you.”

(signed)

From the very beginning, I knew this is a con game from a con artist. There are many reasons for me to think like that:

1. English writing is very poor. My relative writes good English.

2. India does not have an Embassy in London. India has a High Commission in London.

3. A businessman visiting from Chennai to London for a few days will always buy a "return ticket" and not a one way ticket.

4. Only an hour before the receipt of this email, I was talking to this relative of mine in Chennai over the phone.
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39 comments:

  1. AmritJuly 30, 2010 at 8:30 AM

    Thanks for sharing this one. Even if you had not spoken with your relative an hour back, you would have asked for phone number, bank account details etc. for money transfer and would have found the fraud. But it is good to be careful.

    Main fraud in my opinion is:- How does he know your relative's name and email address and your email address -> that is the key problem.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JayashreeJuly 30, 2010 at 8:53 AM

    This is a scam that has been doing the rounds for a while now. Glad you didn't get taken in.

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  3. TitaxyJuly 30, 2010 at 9:04 AM

    oh that's bad. How did that person get hold of your relatives details and yours (email address, name and such)?

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  4. RajlakshmiJuly 30, 2010 at 9:43 AM

    gosh... thats really bad... people going to such mean level...
    good that you didnt fall for it... :) thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  5. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 9:55 AM

    Thanks for your comments A. It is all the work of a hacker. Since then both of us have changed our emails.

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  6. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 9:57 AM

    Thanks for your comments Jayashree. When I read the email (the way English was written) I knew it was a scam.

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  7. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 9:57 AM

    Thanks for your comments Titaxy. It is all the work of a hacker.

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  8. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 9:58 AM

    Thanks for your comments Rajlakshmi. We should be aware of internet crimes and scams.

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  9. radhaJuly 30, 2010 at 10:00 AM

    It is easy to fool people online, a little caution is definitely to be exercised. Glad you did not fall for the trick

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  10. Rama AnanthJuly 30, 2010 at 10:09 AM

    Just a few hours back a relative of mine sent me a mail saying if registered in this site I would be able to view the pictures he has posted there. I was surprised because he is not the type to go and do all this thing , but still i thought i will just go and have a look, only to find nothing there. And after that I received two confirmation of accepting friend's request from me. I was shocked for i had not sent any such emails to anybody.
    I got confirmation letter from you too SG.
    Such things really worry me, I think you should change your password.

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  11. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 10:28 AM

    Thanks for your comments Radha. We should always be catious.

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  12. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 10:29 AM

    Thanks for your comments Rama. I received an email from you asking me to join this. I was surprised. I was going to contact you. But now that you know. Some one is sending spam mails from your email.

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  13. kiran sawhneyJuly 30, 2010 at 10:58 AM

    I have read such con mails before. This one did not surprise me.

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  14. SwatantraJuly 30, 2010 at 11:04 AM

    Thanks for sharing!! I was finding it so true.. This is called robbery through internet..

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  15. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 11:09 AM

    Thanks for your commens Kiran. I am glad you are aware of this.

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  16. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 11:10 AM

    Thanks for your comments Swatantra. You are right. This is robbery through internet.

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  17. ShruthiJuly 30, 2010 at 12:08 PM

    omg that's so bad. its always good to be cautious.
    and I sent an e-mail to you this morning, hope it was to the right id :)

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  18. AparnaJuly 30, 2010 at 12:27 PM

    Smart work...you should become a detective...

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  19. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 1:30 PM

    Thanks for your comments Shruthi. Yes, it is always better to be catious.

    I received your email. And, I replied also. Hope you got it.

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  20. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 1:33 PM

    Thanks for your complements Aparna. You think I could be the next Hercule Poirot!

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  21. NRIGirlJuly 30, 2010 at 1:56 PM

    I wonder if there are people who would actually do what is requested in these emails... Seems like it based on the popularity of such emails...

    My main concern is for little kids, who are begining to try out emailing...

    We will need to sit them down and talk to them about such cases...

    Thanks for sharing SG!

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  22. SGJuly 30, 2010 at 2:22 PM

    Thanks for your commens NRIGirl. You are correct. We have to educate out kids to be aware of these scams.

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  23. A New BeginningJuly 30, 2010 at 8:45 PM

    The 4th point made everything even more clear....but I wonder how the person got to know your relatives name???Thats really surprising!

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousJuly 30, 2010 at 11:23 PM

    Jeez! A lot of such things happen to me also..i get so many links on my mail page.But i more lazy than cautious to check em out!
    thanks for dropping by my page!

    ReplyDelete
  25. chitraJuly 31, 2010 at 8:23 AM

    SG
    Thank God, you realised that it is a fraud. But how these pranksters get hold of the e mail addresses?

    ReplyDelete
  26. SGJuly 31, 2010 at 11:41 AM

    Thanks for your comments Sana. It is all the work of hackers. We have to be careful.

    ReplyDelete
  27. SGJuly 31, 2010 at 11:43 AM

    Thanks for your comments Madhu. And, welcome to my blog. Please be careful with your email and password. Don't take it lightly.

    Madhu, please visit here as often as possible. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  28. SGJuly 31, 2010 at 11:45 AM

    Thanks for your comments Chitra. Hackers get into top secret government files. So it is easy for them to get into our email and password. Only we have to be careful.

    ReplyDelete
  29. NRJuly 31, 2010 at 2:16 PM

    This is really bad...how he got access to your relatives password of his mail.

    ReplyDelete
  30. SGJuly 31, 2010 at 3:19 PM

    Thanks for your comments Nazish. The lesson: We should be careful about these hackers.

    ReplyDelete
  31. kiran sawhneyJuly 31, 2010 at 7:27 PM

    Happy friendship day to you too.

    ReplyDelete
  32. SGJuly 31, 2010 at 9:40 PM

    Thanks Kiran. Happy friendship day to you too.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Latha NairAugust 1, 2010 at 7:08 AM

    These guys are so enterprising
    that they never give up and
    come up with newer and better
    sob stories to con trusting souls!!

    Around the time 'Satyam' Ramalinga Raju was in hot waters there was
    an email doing the rounds purportedly from his 'poor' wife requesting kind-hearted ppl to help her financially as all her assets were frozen by the investigating agencies and she was in dire straits! Nothing can beat that for imagination and innovation :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. annucool15August 1, 2010 at 7:12 AM

    oops! pray the person doesn't improve his language before contacting anyone again ;)

    ReplyDelete
  35. SGAugust 1, 2010 at 8:15 AM

    Thanks for your comments Latha. Your story is innovative and imaginative. Ramalinga Raju's wife asking for money from unknown people. That's funny.

    ReplyDelete
  36. SGAugust 1, 2010 at 8:17 AM

    Thanks for your comments Anuradha. Coming from an excellent writer, your comment is not surprising to me.

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  37. HaRy!!August 2, 2010 at 4:34 AM

    Hey .. well i got this similar kind of email from my very gud frnd Karthik who was actually supposed to travel to London UK, but being here in UK i first cvud not understand the truth and replied him back if everything OK? bcos the english was on par with his writing as well.... and then finally after careful reading i called him and he said his mailbox wasz hacked and totally all of his mails gone in vain! well thank god..aduthathu naan i thought :(

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  38. SGAugust 2, 2010 at 7:46 AM

    Thanks for your commens HaRy. It is scary when you knew Karthik was supposed to travel to London and you get this (scam) email. Nalla velai. Neenga thappichuteenga.

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  39. RenuAugust 3, 2010 at 10:13 PM

    I got a warning for this type of mail from a friend of mine..looks like ti is happening frequently

    ReplyDelete

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