Help!!

I just received an email with an address of an older gentleman who I have corresponded about family genealogy earlier this year.

I know it was not from him so I deleted it and I know it is a scam asking for money to bail him out in another country due to unfortunate circumstances. Okay, so I deleted the email. Now I am wondering if I should be concerned about identity theft since they used one of my personal contacts. What should I do any one know?

My email has been hacked numerous times. Usually by a company sending out emails about Viagra or other such things. I have to then send out emails saying it wasn't from me because that's exactly how it looks. When the church gets those it is very disturbing! These scammers are continually looking for ways to do damage to other people.

I would also delete and block the sender.

i would undelete the email and find out if one of his younger relatives was using his account. or did you already read it and know that it was asking for money [i wasn't clear on that]? if so, then i would be very worried about identity theft

They were asking for money. Is there anything I can do now?

I would email the gentleman back and let him know his email has been hacked.

You need to notify the person it came from that their email has been hacked. This very thing happened to my husband; he had no idea until he started receiving phone calls from concerned friends! Your elderly gentleman friend will have to close his current email account and open another one. And yes, I would delete the email and run a virus scan on your computer.

So are you saying that this man has had his email hacked or has mine? I have a gmail account.

QuiltnNan How do I un delete the email?

I had a hotmail e-mail account. It was hacked and spam was sent to all my contacts. It was a request to buy something and it was signed with my name. Several people asked me why I would send out such junk. I was very embarrassed!

I increased my security, changed my password and added my own e-mail address to my contacts. That way I would know if it happened again.

It did happen again. So I deleted all my contacts and opened up a new g-mail account. I know others who have had problems with hotmail.

Just my experience.

Elise

If you received the email from him, then his account was hacked. Start a new email to make sure the hackers did not change the "reply-to" address.

I did start a new email and Whoa this is weird! I just sent him and email to explain what happened and this was the reply......

Oh no...l know this sounds weird and you wouldn't believe me...Yes, am really stuck out and it's so devastating at the moment i really need your help l wish l could cal but l don't have access to phone at the moment , I really need your help to get myself out of this mess. The hotel management has been kind to let have an access to a library to get across to anybody to help me since my luggage was also taken away.Hope to hear from you soon.....I don't really have much time i'm in a Local Library right now please get me out of here.

Be very, very careful.

You don't know for sure that it is your friend sending the e-mails.

Elise

Somebody else is using his email account. Does he not have relatives and friends of his own?

Delete. Ignore.

His account has been hacked , so that when you reply or send him e- mail to that adress it is really going somewhere else.

I don't think this is from him. Even though we are distant relatives we don't have that kind of friendship that he would ask me for money. He lives in another state and I have only corresponded with him through email about genealogy.

Do you suggest I delete his contact and never reply again? I don't think I will be able to inform him about his email being hacked because I don't have a phone number or address.

I feel bad for him as he has explained in the past year that he is very old and his wife has illness. Hopefully he can find out about what has happened to his email account.

You need to contact him a different way - the hacker is completely controlling his account now.

if you get another one mark it as spam too. perhaps his computer got a virus and everyone in his address book is getting those emails.

His email is being totally controlled by the hacker. Don't reply. He will figure out through phone calls from others that he email has been compromised. Just DON'T reply again.

Everyone in his address book is getting the same email that you have gotten.

I would not worry about identity theft. Someone has hacked his email and is sending bogus emails to his address book hoping to get hits. This happened to us at work when one of our coworkers was traveling. Just block the sender.

You have two choices, delete and ignore any further emails or continue talking to the hacker.

Good point Scissor Queen! :D I deleted the contact and I am running a virus scan. Too bad people have to attempt this kind of thing.

How do you know he wasn't setting you up when you discussed genealogy? Change your password and do not correspond with him again. and do not give him any more information about yourself!

I was in a similar situation with an online "friend" after months of back and forth emails - all very friendly - he started asking for $$ - scam run the other way!

BINGO. Then block sender.

This. This has happened to my daughter, and she changed her password on all her on-line accounts.

THIS SCREAMS SCAM to me.

Have you called his home to see if he's there? Scams always put a person away from home.


Tell your friend that you are going to call the police to visit him at the hotel and verify his troubles.

*******Ask him for the NAME AND ADDRESS of the hotel or the library.*******

If this gentleman really is your friend and needs your help, let the police find him and verify his story. If he's someone masquerading as your friend, my guess is he won't be willing to give you the info you ask for, or will give you bogus info. If he gives you any info, check it online. Don't call a phone number as he can give a friends number to you, and then answer as the hotel and 'verify' the story.

I really recommend you also contact the police. This sounds a bit criminal to me, and the fact that there is a request for money, is what they show on the news all the time after someone loses thousands of dollars.

If you keep talking to the hacker he has access to your account. Delete all contact now!

It is a scam. You are the one in danger of being taken for money, not him. You should simply delete. Scammers send these emails out and are looking for someone to reply to them...then they know they have someone 'hooked'. According to the tech person at my school, just delete, delete, delete.

Find someone else to help with your ancestry. DO NOT FALL FOR IT. He should have someone closer to him to help him..
Also inform the police...If you have his email let them check it out.....they love this intrigue and may bust up a scam.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a very common scam-delete and forget about it.

This person is most likely not who you think he is. Scammers are very clever; and since you corresponded with him about "genealogy" whoever it is may have your family history and too much information.

I would definitely eliminate all contact with him, block any further emails, and delete everything on your computer related to this person. You cannot be too careful in today's world.

I would report it. Just google how to report spam.

Report it to mail provider and delete the e-mail. Too much scam in the arena now to trust anything asking for money that comes over the internet.

mltquilt

I also get e-mails like this. I delete them and then send an e-mail to the person (who supposdly sent it) and let them know about it.

This is what I send out to some who continue to show everyone's eddresses: (and YES! the capital letters mean I'm raising my voice and shouting!!)

""IF YOU "FORWARD" ANY EMAILS, PLEASE DELETE ALL THE FORWARDING HISTORY
WHICH SOMETIMES INCLUDES MY EMAIL E-DDRESS!

ERASING ALL THE HISTORY HELPS PREVENT SPAMMERS FROM COLLECTING E-DDRESSES (including mine!!!!) AND VIRUSES FROM BEING PROPAGATED.

Click and drag over the unwanted addresses (to highlight); then hit the delete key.
If you don't know how to do that, please ask someone who does!

THANK YOU. ""

Maybe that will help? Good luck!

If it was from his address, then he was hacked. That would be where your address came from. Just spam it, he should change his address.

Delete it......it smells fishy!!!!!

Delete it......it smells fishy!!!!!

Sounds like a real scam to me. I would not do anything. The scammers are working harder to get money out of more people.