It’s an everyday thing…

I get emails from kindly reverends, multi millionaire trust fund beneficiaries and the like all the time.

In the last 5 years I’ve also won the lottery jackpot 126 times, which is nice.

Unfortunately these are all just not-very-elaborate spam scams to try and get me, you and a million others to part with their bank account details.

I’m sure you been there and got the t-shirt…

What you might not know is that you shouldn’t even open the email if you can help it (and I know that’s easier said than done).

More ‘tech savvy’ spammers can track which users open an email which can confirm to them that you have a real address… which means they’ll spam you some more.

Devious toads.

I recently got sent a slightly different type of email – same scam but different angle.

I’m highlighting this because it just shows you the range of approaches they’ll take and the level they’ll sink to, to ensnare you…

This one takes a less softly softly ‘I can transfer the monies to you from a secure account’ approach and goes straight for the jugular.

Here’s the email I got:

 
Now when I first read this I have to say for a split second I did double take.

It’s SO pumped full of basic errors and it’s so urgent sounding that it almost sounds real.

But then it all becomes clear… 

A brief look at the evidence confirms that it’s about as genuine as a £20 Rolex with a rubber strap.

1. This person can’t remember the name of the last regime in Libya – the one they are so frantically escaping from. Odd that.

2. The ‘from name’ in the email is: ‘fashion push’. Doesn’t exactly sound like the kind of name a daring escapee would use to email from.

3. They ask you to email them at a completely different email address – one that comes from Hong Kong (.com.hk). That’s quite an escape they’ve made from Libya.

If you don’t recognise the ‘from name’ 95% of the time it’s going to be a scammer so don’t open it or hit delete.

If someone really, genuinely needed to get hold of you they’d pick up the phone.