I’ve Been Hacked by the ‘Russian Mafia’
By Michael Kaufman
Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you for your concern. As you have probably figured out by now I did not make a “quick trip to the UK” nor did I lose a bag that contained my passport and credit cards. Someone (I’m told it’s the “Russian Mafia”) has hacked into my email account and sent everyone on my address list a bogus message.
“I know this may sound odd,” I supposedly wrote, “but it all happened very fast. I’ve been to the US embassy and they’re willing to help me fly without my passport but I just have to pay for my ticket and settle some bills. Right now I’m out of cash and my credit cards all gone.” (Right there you can tell it isn’t me. I would have written, “…my credit cards are all gone.”)
“I have contacted my bank but the process of getting new cards is far too long. I’m just gonna have to plead with you to lend me some funds right now?” (Hah! Anyone who knows me would know I would never put a question mark there.)
“I’ll pay back as soon as I get home.” (Excuse me, Mr. Russian Mafia guy but didn’t you mean to write,“I’ll pay you back as soon as I get home?”) “I need to get on the next available flight home.” (A little redundant are we, da?)
“Please reply as soon as you get this message so I can forward the details as to where to send the funds. You can reach me via the hotel’s desk phone if you can, the number is, 011447135987030.” (If anyone actually called this number, please let me know what happened.)
“I await your response…you can reach me via my alternate email (michael10990@aol.com) as am logged onto AOL via my black berry.” (Nooooooo, you cannot. That is not my alternate email address and I don’t own a “black berry.”)
Those who replied to the fake email address seeking verification received this reply: “Asking you to send the funds to me directly is enough proof you really want to assist..am sorry i wont let you put me through all this crap all in the name of wanting to help…do you have an idea of what i have been through already..Never mind..thanks for trying to help though…i appreciate.” (There, that should convince the skeptics. Kaufman is just the kind of guy that asks his friends and relatives for money and then accuses THEM of putting him through crap.)
To add a touch of authenticity, the email ends, “Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry” (No “black berry” and no “Verizon Wireless BlackBerry” either. I have enough trouble just figuring out how to use my cell phone.)
Unlike the ubiquitous “Nigerian” scams, this one isn’t mainly about getting people to send money. The “Russian Mafia” is looking for email addresses that will lead them to big bank accounts….and to the big banks themselves. That’s where they do their real hacking. So they come to the wrong guy when they picked on me.
But for the time being they have wiped out all my saved incoming and sent email messages. Feel free to write to me here at Zest if you don’t know the real alternate address. I’ll keep you posted. Dasvadanya!
Michael can be reached at Michael@zestoforange.com.
Tags: Michael Kaufman
