Alert to a possible new scam

no, Not a new scam but helpful to revisit it from time to time like all scams

I am at this moment watching bbc1 ...Dirty Rotten Scammers.... watch it on iplayer.

I got a similar message from a friend who was reportedly on holiday abroad, and had been mugged, cards and cash stolen, and he wouldn’t be released until he handed over a given amount of cash, and could I please send this to him forthwith. The giveaway for me was that he said his cellphone had been taken from him and I knew quite well he would never call his mobile that!

We used to get lots of emails, many from people who I hardly knew, but whose address list had been hacked telling the same story as Shelflife. Since so manyof these messages came from people who would not email me in such circumstances, in a month of Sundays, I worked on the premise that all those coming from people close to me were also scams.

Something similar - text message from one of my sons, saying he has lost his phone, so had to get another phone and his bank has locked him out of his account etc etc……basically he needed money urgently. It sounded so genuine. So I rang my son’s old number……no such thing. I still wonder how he got the name of my son.

Thankyou for that information. That is one scam I have heard about. We were once contacted by a scammer pretending to be a friend . Telling us they were on holiday in Portugal (they weren't) and had been mugged in an underground car pack . Lost their personal belongings cash / bank cards and could we please send them money to get them home !!!

It's been highlighted on scammer programmes.