Friday, September 27, 2013

YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER...

"Your life is in danger, consider yourself dead now..." This was the subject heading of the email that was delivered to Seniorsaloud email inbox last night. The contents were alarming (see below in blue) and would have given the recipient a sleepless night had it been a genuine letter.

Seniorsaloud has posted several scam letters on this blog before (see links below) as well as samples of phishing. Despite all the warnings about online scams, there will always be some folks who will end up losing their hard-earned savings to these unscrupulous con men and women who comb the net looking for gullible victims.

How you can tell it's a scam. Source: University of Rochester

Older women are easy prey. Why? Find out at
NBC News
Retirees, in particular, cannot afford to be swindled of their life savings. So take heed. NEVER respond to any email that asks you for money or for your personal data. No 'friend' would ever ask for money to be sent to them, and no bank or organization would ask you to divulge your account number or password online. Look out especially for emails that contain plenty of spelling and grammar errors - a sure giveaway that the emails are fakes.

The majority of scams target our feelings of sympathy (asking for money to help someone in distress), greed (notifying us that we have just won or inherited $1 million), and implicit trust in those in authority (requesting for our personal particulars). The latest type of scams, however, is aimed at causing fear in us. Please read the scam email below so you'll know what to do if you ever receive a similar email - IGNORE IT.

You have been betrayed!!! It's a pity that this how your life is going to come to an end as your death had already been paid for by someone who is very close to you from all investigations.

I have ordered 3 (three) of my men to monitor every move of you and make sure you are not out of sight till the date of your assassination.

According to the report I gets, you seem to be innocent about what you have been accuse but I have no business with that, so that's why am contacting you to know if truly you are innocent and how much you value your life.

Get back to me if you sure want to live on, ignore this mail only if you feel it's a joke or just a threat. Don't forget your days on earth are numbered, so you have the chance to live if only you will comply with me.

WARNING: Tell no one about this mail to you because he or she might just be the person who wants you dead, and if that happens, I will be aware and am going to make sure you DIE instantly.

I will give you every detail of where to be and how to take any actions be it legal or illegal, that's only when I read from you. You need to stay calm and act unaware of this situation and follow instructions because any move you make that is suspicious; you will DIE as your days are numbered.

The New Zealand government's Consumer Affairs Division has just published (June 2013) A Guide for Seniors to help them get online savvy. It contains excellent advice on how to protect themselves and their families against online scams. You can download it for free.

Please read these related posts too, and be informed.

BE VIGILANT AGAINST SPEAR PHISHING

LONELY AND DESPERATE? EASY PREY TO CYBER ROMEOS

5 comments:

Pak Idrus said...

Greed and naivety are the main cause of getting cheated. Any email that you do not understand should be dump in the Spam box and deleted. So are those email that comes from someone you do not know.

Have a nice day Lily.

Unknown said...

I think (and hope) I'm too cynical to be taken in by spam email. I've received plenty over the years, as well as hoax phone calls. That death one, while it could be frightening for some, would be a very obvious spam to most. My puzzle is...why send something like that? I can't understand the mentality of anyone wishing to harm another. C'est la vie, I guess.

seniorsaloud said...

Robyn, I can understand how many seniors are duped into responding to such emails. When I first got online as a newbie years ago, I was gullible enough to believe an email purportedly from a bank asking me to update my account particulars as the bank was upgrading their system. Luckily I checked with my daughter. She said it was a scam and to ignore it. I have been doing so to all such emails ever since. Better be safe than sorry - that's my motto.

Unknown said...

Beside scam mails I have also received lots of hoax phone calls over the years. Usually the instant I realise that I am listening to an anonymous caller that I don't know I will cut him off by letting him know that he is calling the wrong number and then hang up.

seniorsaloud said...

Allen, good advice. Where scam emails, anonymous phone calls & strangers at the door are concerned, it's best NOT to give them the 'benefit of the doubt'.