Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
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Stuck or Stranded Overseas Travellers Email Scams

The email messages below in which the sender claims he/she is stranded overseas because he/she was hurt and robbed, are scams. If you have received the fake email messages, please do not respond to them because they were sent by scammers. Every month, thousands of these email messages are sent out by scammers to trick their potential victims into sending them money

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Remember, never send your personal information to anyone in an email message or send money to someone who contacted you via email message. And, ask yourself this question, where did that person get your email address from and who told him that you have money lend. The answer is, scammers have a hugh database of email addresses, and they send fraudulent email messages to all the email addresses in their database, and hope a percentage of the owners of those email addresses will respond to their fraudulent email messages.

The Fake Email Messages

I'm currently in Kiev,Ukraine for a short vacation, unfortunately, I was mugged at the park of the hotel where I stayed. All cash, credit card and mobile phone was stolen from me but luckily, I still have my passport with me.

I've been to the Embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all. My flight will be leaving in less than 8-hrs from now but I'm having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let me leave until I settle the bills.

I'll need your help with a loan of €2,500 euros I promise to make the refund once I get back home. Please let me know if you can help and I need you to keep me posted via email because it's the only way I can reach you now.

Victor

Subject: SAD NEWS....... ........... .......... .......... .....PLEASE HELP ME OUT

Good Morning,

I'm sorry for this emergency and for not informing you about my urgent trip to PHILIPPINES but I just have to let you know my present predicament. Everything was fine until I was attacked on my way back to the hotel, I wasn't hurt but I lost my money, bank cards, mobile phone and my bag in the course of this attack. immediately contacted my bank in order to block my cards and also made a report at the nearest police station.

I've been to the embassy and they are helping me with my documentation so i can fly out but I'm urgently in need of some money to pay my hotel bills and my flight ticket home, will definitely REFUND as soon as I get back home. The hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the hotel bills ($2,450 USD). Write me back so I can forward you the details required for a wire transfer via western union.

Any help is very appreciated!!!

From: Theresa Wright [mailto:theresawright17 @yahoo.com]
To: theresawright17 @outlook.com
Subject: Unexpected News.....Theresa Wright

Hello,

Sorry for any inconvenience, I'm in a terrible mess right now. Am deserted here in Manila, Philippines since last night. I was hurt and robbed on my way back to the hotel i lodged.It was such a horrible experience for me,luckily i left my passports in the safe at the hotel. I have been to the Police and they directed me to the embassy but they're not helping issues at all. I have to canceled all my cards, it appeared I acted quickly enough or they almost would have succeeded in clearing out my bank account.the bad news is my flight will be leaving very soon but i am having problems settling the hotel bills. Please let me know if you can help me out and I will refund the money back to you as soon as I get back home.

Regards,

From:[(name removed) @yahoo.co.nz]
Subject: Unexpected Trip

Sorry for any inconvenience, I'm in a terrible situation. Am stranded here in Manila, Philippines since last night. I was hurt and robbed on my way to the hotel I stayed and my luggage is still in custody of the hotel management pending when I make payment on outstanding bills I owe. Am waiting for my colleagues to send me money to get back home but they have not responded and my return flight will be leaving soon. Please let me know if you can help and I will refund the money back to you as soon as I get back home.

Please let me know if you can help..

Thanks,

From: "Kweilyn Wiseman" Kwiseman01@ aol.com
Date: Dec 10, 2015 7:25 PM
Subject: Sad Trip ... Please Help !

Hello!

I'm sorry you're getting the mail from me at this Point in time,my family and I came down here to Istanbul,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

Kweilyn Wiseman

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