Scammers impersonating your friends and asking you for Apple vouchers,

Whatever next!

Thanks, Elegran

I've had same scam email Elegran. Very annoying

I couldn’t open the link, Elegran, but thanks for the ‘heads-up’.

I had one some months ago, purporting to be from a member of my painting group. It seemed suspicious to me because we were only on saying "Good morning" terms and I couldn't see why he would come to me with a problem. I replied and said that we could sort it out when I saw him a couple of days later at the group. Surprise, surprise I heard no more. When I saw him at the group it turned out most of the other members had received the same message.

Oh no. This is a horrible scam (like they all are.)

I always ignore emails like that. I know that no one I know would ever send me an email like that, so just assume it is a scam.

This particular scame has been around for 10 years or more.

I didn't fall for it, Monica, but I thought it worthwhile not to ignore it but to post it here for those who, like me, were meeting it for the first time. If the scammer had started by asking me to buy something and send it to someone else I would instantly have been suspicious - (I didn't come up the Clyde in a banana boat) - but they began with a short email " Do you order from Amazon? " just the kind of thing a friend or even acquaintance might ask you at this time of year.

It was only after I had replied asking why they wanted to know that I got the follow-up with the obvious scam in it. A clever softening up to first make you think it is from a friend before sending the request.

Sorry about the non-functioning link, but I have given the gist of the suspicious email in the original post.

Link won’t open but yes always best to be ultra cautious
I was recently scammed on my telephone account without any options, no emails etc , nothing I could have done to stop it as I knew nothing about it until my telephone provider thanked me for my order of two top of the range expensive telephones and my upgrade telephone plan. I got onto it quickly as soon as it came to light and I lost nothing but the provider lost one of their expensive phones sent out ( to a flat in London in my name !!! ) before it all came to light
There are some very very clever scans and we have to keep our wits about us always

Elegran,thanks for that. My husband received an email from a friend in America, giving him a sob story about having difficulty buying apple vouchers for his friend who was dying of cancer. My DH has Alzheimer's Disease and fell hook line and sinker for this story. Fortunately he told me about it before he sent money. I explained this was a scam and he did not believe me !! and said he wanted to help and I was being difficult!! I took his iPad and deleted the offending email ( that did not go down well!) A couple of days later his friend emailed all his contacts explaining that he had been scammed and apologizing for any confusion. Only then did my DH accept the situation. These people are wicked , fortunately my DH had not sent money but it caused considerable trouble between me and my husband - it is almost impossible to argue with someone who has Alzheimer's Disease!!! My DH has had a career in finance and it is so incomprehensible that he could be taken in as he was. Thank goodness my DH told me the story and explained he wanted to 'help'!!
Please people , do take care !!!

Please be aware. I’m pretty sure that the person who hacked my email account has gathered my email info from this forum. I had surgery recently and have spoken about it on one of the threads. A friend of mine, who doesn’t use Gransnet received an email asking him to buy Apple vouchers for me for a terminally ill relative as I was unable to get to the shop due to complications with my surgery.
It’s sorted out now, but has been very stressful.

It's a variation of the email doing the rounds a few years ago asking for people to buy an Amazon voucher or a gift card fora relative, my DH nearly fell for it, luckily I happened to be in the room,and pointed out that J didn't have his email address!

F

Fell for it. Sent electronic (instant) Apple Gift Card to specified address on behalf of friend as birthday gift for sick child. Smelt a rat on being asked to send more and if necessary go to a shop to get one. Feel a right fool.

I got this one just recently , supposedly from a friend who was ill and had lost her phone or something similar.
As I had been out with that friend the night before I rang her instantly.
Most of her email contacts had been approached and she was very embarrassed.
She suspects that at least one had sent the voucher but no one admitted to it.
It is so evil but so easy to get taken in.

Thanks for the warning!

My email account was hacked some years ago and all my contacts were asked to send me money because I had suffered a serious injury in a car accident whilst on holiday and couldn’t afford to pay my hospital bills…………at the time I was on compassionate leave after losing my dad.
Fortunately, no one fell for it but I did receive several calls from colleagues warning me what had happened……….checking emails was the last thing when I was grieving and planning a funeral.
Just took me a few minutes to change my password but it was stress that I really didn’t need at such a horrible time. Thank goodness for clued up work colleagues!

Also don`t use a QR scanner. Ds was telling me yesterday how they are being used to see the contents of your phone. He works in IT security at a bank and says he does not have a QR scanner. They are an easy way for scammers to get hold of photos inside your phone

Also they are an easy way to get hold of videos of family which are then used via AI to ask for money etc always with a sob story about eg being stranded

karmalady

Also don`t use a QR scanner. Ds was telling me yesterday how they are being used to see the contents of your phone. He works in IT security at a bank and says he does not have a QR scanner. They are an easy way for scammers to get hold of photos inside your phone

That's really useful to know. I don't own a smart phone and am glad I don't after reading that.

Unfortunately, so many companies ask you to scan for this and that it's almost as if we're being forced to get one.

Reported