Fake email ... but seemingly from one of my own contacts ?

[Ray1000]

I almost never get any spam email but I had one a few months ago from someone thinking I might send them £2000 to pay an hotel bill in the Ukraine after they lost their wallet ... just the sort of thing a person from Yorkshire might fall for ... :rolleyes:

 

Today I got the same wording on an email ... but from someone on my contacts list ... it wasn't forwarded, and he's not the sort of person to send it as a joke.

 

Any ideas would be welcome ... I was going to send him an email just to relate the story but thought I would wait to see what you think.

 

Thanks

 

Ray

[KenB]

Hi Ray

 

It sounds as if your friend has had their email account compromised.

 

If this is a hotmail or web-based account it may be as simple as changing their password.

If the email has been generated from their pc then they may need Starbuck or etavares to advise on malware removal.

[Ray1000]

Is it likely to make things worse (from a spam point of view) by emailing him ... as I would normally do that rather than phone.

 

Ray

[Plastic Nev]

Personally, in these circumstances I would advise the phone. If his account has been taken over, as can happen, these hackers sometimes also change the password, so your friend may not even see any E Mail from you.

Also if you have a Hotmail or other web based account, to prevent the same happening to you, make sure it is protected by a strong password, there are plenty of good advisory sites with idea's of how to create a strong password, but in essence, mixed letters and numbers and at least twelve characters long.

 

Nev.

[Ray1000]

Thanks Nev, I have left a message on his answer-phone.

 

I'll let you know the outcome.

 

Mine is Hotmail, and his btinternet

 

Ray

[KenB]

It could be that the problem lies with Hotmail rather than your friend's system.

 

Change your password.

 

Ask your friend to register here and post in this thread.

One of the security guys will check his system over.

[Ray1000]

I'll do that Ken

 

Ray

[Starbuck]

One of the security guys will check his system over

Let us know if you can get him to run some scans and we'll be only too glad to help.

If he wants to join FPCH, we can guide him through the cleaning process.

[Ray1000]

Thank you Starbuck,

 

I rang him this morning, he was aware of the problem, everyone in his contact list had received the same email ... a number of them saying the money was in the post;)

 

He has since changed his password.

 

Ray