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Scam alert in Personal Message inbox!

(25 Posts)
Elegran Tue 30-Aug-16 15:50:23

If you get a PM from a username "kings11me" inform GNHQ. It is the old old scam from Africa. Someone has acquired some money they would like you to help them launder.

Katek Tue 30-Aug-16 15:53:21

Just about to post same warning Elegran....got same message. Have reported it.

Flossieturner Tue 30-Aug-16 15:53:55

I have this too. Should we leave GN

LauraGransnet (GNHQ) Tue 30-Aug-16 15:56:04

Hi everyone! We believe it to be mass spam and have now removed the spammer from our site. Do ignore the mail if you're (un)lucky enough to have received one.

Anniebach Tue 30-Aug-16 15:56:08

I received one too

Elegran Tue 30-Aug-16 16:05:42

No need to leave, Flossieturner They don't have your home email address. They have joined GN as thlough they are ordinary members, and then sent you a message to your GN mailbox. You then get an automatic notification email from GN to the home email address you provided when you joined yourself. You read the message in your GN mailbox when you login, and if you are daft enough to reply, the reply goes from there.

No-one knows your home email (unless you disclose it to them yourself.)

Greyduster Tue 30-Aug-16 16:15:50

Me too. Reported it.

Grannyknot Tue 30-Aug-16 16:20:38

I received an Inbox email from kings11me today.

So, GNHQ please look into your anti-spam action again because how come if you said you had got rid of "it", are they still sending emails!

LucyGransnet (GNHQ) Tue 30-Aug-16 16:27:07

Hi Grannyknot, do you know what time you received the PM? We only received the reports under an hour ago, so it may be that the message was sent before we were alerted to this person. It's definitely been sorted now, although the messages aren't automatically deleted smile

LucyGransnet (GNHQ) Tue 30-Aug-16 16:35:28

In fact, bear with us... We're going to see if tech can do a mass delete of this person's messages.

hildajenniJ Tue 30-Aug-16 16:43:53

I received one. I blocked the sender and deleted the message.

Mildred Tue 30-Aug-16 17:29:12

I received one timed 15.39, deleted without opening.

ninathenana Tue 30-Aug-16 17:36:56

Feeling left out again sad

grin

obieone Tue 30-Aug-16 17:50:37

Could it depend on a persons' computer security system?

grannylyn65 Tue 30-Aug-16 17:52:00

Got one 10 mins ago, but was deleted immediately

Grannyknot Tue 30-Aug-16 18:07:11

Thank you, it's gone.

obie the security on my PC is meant to be cast iron ...

Alishka Tue 30-Aug-16 18:15:54

I got one too, just now when I looked (but I've been doing other stuff this afternoon) logged on to see that it's been deleted.
Great fun if someone wants money from me....I left my wallet with cash and cards in a shop on Sunday. Realised yesterday, cancelled the cards. New ones will arrive tomorrow. Shops just contacted me to say that they found my wallet and have posted it back. Spect both new cards +!wallet will arrive on Thursday.

Til then, anyone want to lend me some money? grin

Ana Tue 30-Aug-16 18:19:17

It's nothing to do with personal security systems, obieone, the scammer has joined GN as a normal user would, as Lucy said, and has sent PMs to various members.

No one has hacked into any computer system.

NanaandGrampy Tue 30-Aug-16 18:45:01

Oh no I got one and was just working out how to spend the money !!

Elegran Tue 30-Aug-16 18:58:28

obieone (and anyone else who is alarmed) My original post and the title of the thread are just warning you not to fall for the scam - the email itself can't do you or your computer any harm.

The sender has joined GN so that they can send a message to our GN mailboxes, not to our home computers or laptops. That much is perfectly OK for members - but not for them to try to scam us into giving them bank account details to "transfer the money to" (and then they would neatly transfer OUR money out)

They haven't got through our home security, or Gransnet security. DON'T WORRY

DaphneBroon Tue 30-Aug-16 22:22:17

Aha-I have just reached the bottom of "Active conversations" and all is now clear. Please ignore my "mystery messages" thread blush

MiniMouse Tue 30-Aug-16 22:32:16

I'm confused now because there was nothing from kings11me in my GN Inbox, but an email purporting to be from GN came into my home email Inbox.

MiniMouse Tue 30-Aug-16 22:39:28

Ignore me! My brain's in slow mode tonight! I've realised that the message that would have been in my GN inbox must have been deleted by HQ before the GN email came into my home email inbox IYSWIM.

Time for moon

Grannyknot Tue 30-Aug-16 22:41:15

smile

LucyGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 31-Aug-16 09:55:17

Morning all! Just to reiterate, and as a few members have already said, there was no security breach and all your details are safe.

When you join the site, you are able to send other members a private message - which is what this spammer did. Nothing sinister - tech-wise, at least. The spammy messages should all be gone now, too. Feel free to email us if you still have any concerns.