Someone I know had their email hacked recently. I got an email, from her address, asking if I would “do her a favor ... do you have an Amazon account?”
Evidently the scam is that they get you to purchase an Amazon gift card & then give them the claim code (or send it to them) - of course you are never reimbursed.
I would NEVER do this anyway, plus I noticed that the email for replying was similar, but not the same as the person’s email. Additionally, as if I need more reason to be suspicious, we are not ‘friends’ and I am the LAST person she would ask for a favor. The only reason my email address was in her address book was for some organizational business we had to transact some years ago.
Within a week, there was an email from the organization we both belong to, stating her email was hacked & to ignore/delete those scam messages.
I had the same thing happen yesterday. My old boss and I keep in contact and we were emailing back and forth yesterday. I received an email with the first part of the email matching his except for the domain. I got suspicious when he asked for money and checked the domain.