Posted on 09/07/2009 1:36:13 PM PDT by billorites
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - A Cape Girardeau woman was such a good friend, she played right into the hands of a hacker who took over her friend's Facebook account.
"I'm going to try really hard to forget it, but it was $3,914.20," Jayne Scherrman said.
She says it all began when she got a cryptic message from her friend Grace online.
"It was just a message. Jayne are you there? I need help. I answered her - "I'm here." She says "Mike and I are stranded in London, it's a bad situation, we need help.'"
Little did Scherrman know, someone was posing as Grace Parry after hacking into her Facebook account.
She didn't suspect anything strange, because the Parrys often travelled overseas.
"I had flight tickets all ready for her, I would have gone the next day," Scherrman said.
Parry found out about the hacker when a cousin called to check on her.
She says the same message was going out to all her friends on her account.
"Mike and I are in London, we've been robbed, we've lost everything, including our cell phone, credit cards, airline tickets, and maybe need $600 to help us get home."
Parry immediately changed her password and tried to warn her friends, but for some like Jayne Scherrman, it was too late.
Parry says another friend also wired her $600.
"We were just sick about it, and feel very angry. Feel violated. You almost feel like you're an accomplice at gunpoint, we were used intentionally in this whole mess," Parry said.
Scherrman is a pediatric dentist. She says if someone could trick her into falling for a scam, it could happen to anyone.
"After that strong scolding I gave myself, and lectured myself and throwing up, I really am proud of myself that I love someone enough to do that."
On the plus side, both women say their friendship is stronger than ever.
Scherrman filed a police report, but doesn't expect to get her money back.
Heartland News tried to get in touch with Facebook and they emailed back saying they could not respond immediately because of the large number of requests.
Someone tried that exact scam on my son. He was smart enough not to fall for it. I’m surprised tho, that anyone would. Honestly, how hard is it to pick up the phone and call someone to check out the truth? I would think that is the least you would do before you would wire a large sum of money. Plus if you get these people talking a bit it’s usually easy to tell that English is not their first language. Perhaps we need to start an internet skeptics class in high school.
This particular scam has been around for several years and has been pretty effective. You gotta be careful when responding to any kind of request for money. Two parties in London recently tried to sell me some rare parts for a 1979 Pontiac that I had a parts wanted ad for on the internet. One was very good and I almost wired the funds before I smartened up at the last moment. They were both scammers who told me what I wanted to hear. Caveat Emptor!
Ah nuts. So that email I got this morning promising me millions for just sending a nominal transfer fee is a scam???
Oh, like the DNC and NEA would permit that!
If you email this article to 10 friends, something incredible will happen.
Honestly, how gullible can you be? Lol
Same thing happened to me. But I knew that friend was at home because she had sent us an e-mail awaiting the birth of their daughter. It’s happened twice actually.
If she sends me 1000 bucks, I can get her money back.
#4. No, that sounds legit....just kidding. They will send you some pretty documents with all kinds of stamps on them if you send them some money, then they will ask you for more and more. Its amazing that people continue to fall for these cons. I still get several a week addressed to undisclosed recipients...how many, hundreds, thousands?, but with an individual message exclusively for liitle old me.
LOL! And she also voted for zero I bet...
“Honestly, how hard is it to pick up the phone “
They said they’d lost their cellphone and were in Europe.
No no, for the person who is being contacted by the scammer. Pick up your phone and call the person who is supposedly sending you a message on FB. When they answer and tell you they have no idea what you’re talking about, tell them their account has been hacked and then have fun with the hacker.
Um, no. It really can't.
"After that strong scolding I gave myself, and lectured myself and throwing up, I really am proud of myself that I love someone enough to do that."
She is PROUD that she "loves someone enough" to take a chance on getting ripped off? Fool.
I suppose you can expect this when you lay yourself bare to the world on the innerwebs.
All kinds of interesting things you can do. Send them to nonexistent businesses, give them the address of a cop shop...
Yup. Might as well. They’re jerks who deserve whatever grief you give them.
Yep! You could atleast ask for a collect call from the person to be made before ponying up money. That is what I’d do if I got a message like that. If they are my firned they know my phone number or atleast how to find it!
#1: Trust No One
#2: see rule #1
**This particular scam has been around for several years and has been pretty effective. You gotta be careful when responding to any kind of request for money. **
I got one of those.. the toughest part it was a FREEPER. Hated saying “NO” .. but I know better!!
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