New(?) email scam

[markjay]

Hackers steal Gmail password (not to difficult to do).

Hackers email everyone on the contact list, while pretending to be the account holder, saying they are in (name of East European city) and got robbed at gunpoint, they have no cash, cards, phone or passport, they only have access to email, and need an urgent money transfer to (you guessed it) a bank account in an East European country.

Beware.... it sounds obvious when I tell it, but people do fall for it.

 

[HughSurrey]

We had this very thing happen, fortunately I called the guy and he answered, telling me he was in a restaurant in London rather than Prague as claimed on the email.

 

[Druk]

I have AAAAAA(insert own email address) as the first addy in my address book. If my addy book were to be hacked and used for mischief I would get the same email as all my contacts and would then be aware and could deal with it.