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Another Western Union scam

January 26, 2010


Stocks, Mutual Funds, Forex, Finance Philippines
Make Money Online, Stocks, Mutual Funds, Philippines



A few minutes ago, I received a weird email from a friend. It was his valid email address but the content sounded fishy. It went like this:

Western Union scam email

Greetings,

How are you doing today? I need you to help me out of this devastating situation that I got my self into, I had to come down to United Kingdom and unfortunately for me I was attacked by robbers in the Hotel where I am lodge.The robbers made away with my entire luggage’s, including my credit cards and air return tickets, they also disconnected the Hotel’s telephone cables, so we cant get access to the Interpol and also and compromised its database too, which means that no credit card payments nor online payments can be made at the moment.

Please I need you to lend me $1,500 US Dollars so I can use it to settle up my Hotel’s bills and book the nearest flight home and as soon as I return home it would be reimbursed, please I need you to send the money via Western union money transfer to my name and on this address below,

Receivers Names: Mark Maria Montesa.
Receivers Address/location: 19 New Dover Road,Canterbury
Dover Kent,CT1 3AH, United kingdom

Thank you so much, please as soon as you are done sending me the money, I need you to help me write out the MTCN details giving to you by the Western union agent or better still help me scan a copy of the receipt. I am looking forward to hear from you.this the details i need in getting the money picked up here in UK:

Stocks, Mutual Funds, Forex, Finance Philippines


Sender’s Name: …
Amount sent: …
M.T.C.N (the ten digits number): …

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Mark.

Why this is a scam

Now, this email is weird and fishy for several reasons. One, if the sender really was my friend Mark, I’m sure he won’t start the letter with a formal “Greetings, How are you doing today?”.

Two, he’s not in the United Kingdom at present so whatever story written in the email is unlikely.

Three, assuming he was “attacked by robbers in the Hotel” and “disconnected the Hotel’s telephone cables, so we cant get access to the Interpol,” if he really wanted to contact the police, he could have simply used a payphone outside the hotel!

Lastly, if I am to send him cash via Western Union, I’ll make sure the money is addressed to him exactly! “Mark Maria Montesa” is not his name!

Thus, the only explanation for this email is that this is a scam email.

How it happened

Most probably, my friend’s email account was compromised, becoming a victim of a phishing attempt and now the hacker is spamming the address book with this scam email.

If you received a similar email, make sure you don’t fall for it. This is clearly, absolutely, 100% for a fact, pure SCAM.

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  • RAP

    Spring Break is over so the request from that college/high school student would fall on deaf ears. I received one simiilar from an ‘old’ friend that also said he was too embarrased to call home. So I called his cell phone and, surprise, he was at home in Pennsylvania.
    Don’t even bother responding with questions trying to verify the identity of the individual – but do let the friend know that their email account has been compromised.

  • kia

    yes!!!! I agree!!! lots of scammers nowadays! such as an application to a certain hotel in United Kingdom and you need to pay 200 pounds through western union for the processing fee of documents to be validated for working visa??? what a heck??? then if that so, why they didn’t allow thus applicant to pay directly to uk immigration offices or embassy, right? why is it through western union? try to apply to this emails and see their repplies “vacancy_royalyorkhotel@yahoo.co.uk” and “hiltonskensington@ukhotels:disqus .org”…. goodluck to the monkey businessesesesss….

  • Terrie

    Thanks for this information. I just would like to share also, I was  a victim of this scammed.
    This man send me his flight schedule coming to meet me. One day before we are about to meet,
    Somebody called me on phone and told me that this man was involved in an accident. The doctor forced me to pay  his deposit before they treated this man if I will not cooperate they will abandon this man.. Without any knowledge, I have send money thru  western union…knowing that it is true.
    but unfortunately all of this are all scammed. I have learned a lot from this experienced. And I know & believe there’s a reasons why this had happen to me…
    I know all of you scammers will go to HELL!!! .

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