Scammers Asking To Borrow Money From You - The "Please Send Money" Scam

Scammers Asking To Borrow Money From You - The Please Send Money Scam

People are currently receiving e-mail messages from different e-mail addresses in which the senders of the e-mails are asking to borrow money from them. The senders of the email messages state that they have been mugged and their cash, credit card, and cellphone have been stolen or lost while traveling overseas. So, due to this unfortunate incident, want you to send money to them via the Western Union. They claim that you will be refunded as soon as they have returned home.

This is obviously a scam, which is now called the "Please Send Money" scam. Ask yourself, who did these persons get your e-mail address from and told them you have money to lend. If you are stranded in a foreign country, the local authorities can help you return home.

Please DO NOT be taken for a fool by sending the money you have worked so hard for, to these criminals, who will stay your money and disappear.

Sample of an Email Message from the Scammers

From: Conrad Mc Intosh [mailto: conradmcintosh@yahoo.com]
Subject: EMERGENCY(URGENT ASSISTANCE)..........

Conrad McIntosh

Hi,
Just writing to let you know my trip to London, United Kingdom has been a mess. I came down to United Kingdom on an International Convention and Exhibition at world trade center when i got mugged by some unknown gunmen and lost all my cash,credit card and cellphones It has been a scary experience, I was hit at the back of my neck with a club.

Anyway...... I'm still alive and that's whats important. I'm financially strapped right now and need your help. I need you to loan me some $$, I'll refund it to you as soon as i arrive home.Write back to me so i can tell you how to get it to me.......

Thanks,
Conrad

I replied to the e-mail message by asking how much money they would like to borrow (please DO NOT do this).

Subject: RE: EMERGENCY(URGENT ASSISTANCE)

Conrad Mc Intosh

Hi,

Sorry to hear that, so sad. How much money would you like and please provide the wiring information.

Best Regards,

Here is the scammer's reply:

From: Conrad Mc Intosh [conradmcnitosh@yahoo.com]
Subject: Re: EMERGENCY(URGENT ASSISTANCE)..........Conrad Mc Intosh

Thanks for your quick response,at the moment am mentally unbalance as I can't think straight,I was very happy when you responded,as we speak I need ($1,600) to add up and sort my bills,don't worry I will def refund it as soon as we get home,the fastest and safest means you can get money to me is via western union..as soon as the transfer is done I will appreciate you get back to me with the money transfer control number MTCN# so i can use that in picking up the money with my passport ID,don't worry I will def refund it as soon as i get home.

This is all you need in sending the money via western union

Name: Conrad Intosh
Location: 25 Broadway, Westminister, London, SW1H 0BD,United Kingdom
Amount: ($1,600)

Hope to read from you soon!
Kind Regards.
Conrad

Never send money to people you do not know, who ask you to do so via an expected email message, especially if you asked to send money via the Western Union or other money transfer services. Money sent by those transfer services cannot be recovered once the money is collected by the recipients.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

Bookmark articleSave

Was this article helpful?

Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. Sign-in.

Write your Comment or view the ones below.

Comments(Total: 2)

September 29, 2017 at 9:44 AM by
Scammers Asking To Borrow Money From You - The "Please Send Money" Scam
info

Here is another scam:

"From: Chevelle majidnassef@outlook.com

Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2017 1:35 AM

Subject: PLEASE YOUR URGENT RESPONDS IS NEEDED

Good day to you,

Please i was hospitalized during my trip to London and I need the sum of $5,400 to settle my hospital bill here but my Master Card is refusing to function so I was hoping if you could help me out with the said sum, or tell me what you can be able to help me with so that i'll look for the rest of the fee, immediately i come back from London I'll refund you.

thanks, its already 8:28pm here, i await your reply.

regards

Chevelle."

Delete

September 1, 2016 at 8:14 AM by
Scammers Asking To Borrow Money From You - The "Please Send Money" Scam
info

Here is another scam:

"From: verbatim335@aol. com

Subject: Sad Trip...Please Help!

Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2016 10:20:14 -0700

Hello!

I'm sorry you're getting the mail from me at this Point in time,my family and I came down here to Denizli, Turkey for a short vacation unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel we stayed,all cash credit cards and cell were stolen off but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.

I have been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves pretty soon from now but we're having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills.

Please be so kind to reply back so I can tell you what to do and how to get some cash to us.

I'm freaked out at the moment

Sharon"

Delete

Write Your Comment, Question, Answer, or Review

Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Scammers Asking To Borrow Money From You - The "Please Send Money" Scam