Thread: This is weird...?

Originally Posted by CarrieM

I would still recommend contacting the vendor and letting them know that their distribution lists have been hacked.

+1. I would also send the note you received to the vendor so they know exactly what's up. That would have been my first action. I would use the forward button and not the reply to. Forward to the vendor email address on the web site.

I could be wrong here, but I thought it was extremely unusual to be held up at gunpoint in the UK. Regardless, I pretty much agree with what others have said thus far.

Reply to them and say you need $100 to pay for the transaction fees.

Originally Posted by BingoBango

Hey Everyone,

I just got a weird email from the owner of an online vendor of shaving goods. Before I get into details, let me just say that I'm not trying to badmouth the vendor, his site, or anything. For all I know this is a real email, but it struck me as strange and want to know if anyone else got a similar email. (I'm too cynical to even respond to this kind of thing. I'm from NY, so better luck elsewhere. ) I'm certainly not suggesting that anyone act on this email, but I would be interested to know if anyone else got one like it.

This email came from Mark L., who works for an online store that sells a lot of international shaving soaps, creams and aftershaves. I'm not gonna give out more info since I don't want this to be a comment about the site.

Let me know what you think. Like I said, I'm not even gonna respond to this.

The email:

Mark L----- show details 9:36 AM (19 minutes ago)
I'm sorry for this odd request because it might get to you too urgent but it's because of the situation of things right now, I'm stuck in London, United Kingdom right now, i came down here on vacation , i was robbed, worse of it is that bags, cash and cards and my cell phone were stolen at GUN POINT, so i only have access to my email, it's such a crazy and brutal experience for me and i was hurt on my right hand, i need help flying back home, the authorities are not being 100% supportive but the good thing is i still have my passport but don't have enough money to sort the bills and get my flight ticket back home, please i need you to loan me some money, i promise to refund it as soon as I'm back home, you can get it to me through western union.

--
Kind regards,
Mark

Definitely a scam. They hijack someone's email and send this type of request to his/her contact lists. I have recieved a few warnings from prominent individuals I am in contact with that this has happened or may happen to them.

I left a VM on the vendor's phone listed on the website. I figure it's the most secure way to contact him directly since his email my be compromised.

I had that one a while back only my friend was stuck in North Africa, which was odd as I'd had a pint at his pub the night before and he served it!

The vendor in question has been told about his account being hacked. It's been on Badger & Blade for a short while and the admin there have told him. They've advised not to use his normal email and to use another which doesn't appear to have been compromised.

B&B thread

Originally Posted by BingoBango

Maybe you have an evil twin...

I wouldn't put up with this. Send a reply right back to the bast*rd with a virus attached. That oughta teach him (or...you? Hmmm...maybe not such a good idea!)

Email works very similar to the real post system, it's not hard to fake the return address, and it is very easy to get a virus into a computer to send an email to everyone in the address book. There is a project in place to fix this security flaw, but in the mean time, if it sounds odd, it probably is.