I RECEIVED a disturbing email this week. A person with whom l I used to deal when working on the Watford Observer has kept in touch and visited us a couple of times. In more recent years there have been signs he has started a new relationship and, while I do not know how serious it is, I would not be surprised if it became something permanent.

For the sake of anonymity I will call them Dave and Rita. I last saw them in the beginning of June but, the other morning I received the following:

 

Good Morning!!

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..

Rita and I presently stuck in Simferopol Ukraine right now: came here on vacation and unfortunately we got robbed at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All cash and credit cards were stolen. Glad we still have our passports with us!!!

We've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at the moment and our flight leaves in few hrs from now but we have problem settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills...It's literally embarrassing and frustrating here, We need some money as we have nothing with us right now.l was wondering if you could loan us(€2,750 euros), We will reimburse you as soon as we arrive home.You can wire it to my name from any western union outlet around you. There's a Western Union money transfer service very close to us.,Let me know if this is possible so we can email you the wiring details. Rita and I will be very glad to pay back as soon as we return back home...

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards, Dave and Rita.

 

My first concern was over the occasionally broken English but then, if you panicking I thought briefly, that could be the reason. The second was why he should contact me when he has two grown-up children and a brother. I read it again, and wondered how anyone would consider the Ukraine as a holiday destination, let alone run up such a hotel bill..

I emailed Dave asking simply if the letter was genuine and then looked up my contacts book and phoned him on his mobile. Dave answered and put me at ease. His emails had been hacked into and he had received a number of embarrassing texts from friends.

We wrapped up the conversation but I was amused to read a reply to the email, in which the fraudsters were not able to keep their story straight. The reply was as follows:

 

No!!!lt isn't a spam or virus either ,I'm in this situation for real, I've been finding it difficult to make overseas calls from here .probably because I'm outside the town. It has really been embarrassing and frustrating here, I'm very sorry for not informing you about our trip to Manila but I'm sure i can explain better when I return, I need some money as I have nothing on me now, l was wondering if you could loan me €2,750 euros I'll reimburse you as soon as I arrive home. You can wire it to my name from any western union office around you. There's a Western Union office very close to me, Let me know if this is possible so l can email you the wiring details..

Regards, Dave and Rita

 

 

Clearly Dave and Rita had managed to get out of the Ukraine and were now out in the country close to the Philippines’ capital of Manila, where bad luck had struck them again, I have numerous texts over the last year to the effect there is £12,000 owed to me for PPI and I have had the odd email saying could I help an African switch £2m out of Africa and into my account, but this is the first time, I have had a letter purporting to be a friend claiming he or she is in trouble.

I had a house full of family, coming in overlapping rotas and my daughter from Dubai says she regularly receives such fraudulent requests from friends.

A fair scam I suppose, because I would not hesitate to help a friend in such trouble but it is amazing that someone can hack into an email account and then put together a fairly personal note.

We have been warned.