PDA

View Full Version : The Hitman Email Scam



FraudNews
06-21-2010, 09:59 AM
Imagine receiving an e-mail in which the sender claims that you are about to be assassinated unless you pay a certain amount in order to ensure that the assassination is not carried out. This e-mail may send many people into a shivering state, especially the fact that the sender claims that they know you personally and are watching your every move.

Well, thousands of people are receiving these e-mails on a daily basis, as this scam is growing on a daily basis.

Fraudsters are simply compiling a standard e-mail in which they claim that the victim will be assassinated unless a payment is made to them. This email is then circulated to thousands of e-mail users from around the world.

The main reason why this scam is such a ‘hit’, is the fact that many victims will simply make the required payment in the hope that they will not be assassinated. What they do not know is the fact that the fraudsters do not know them at all, and that only their e-mail addresses have been ‘harvested’ off the Internet with specialized software collecting e-mail addresses.

Protecting Oneself Against these Scams

Hit the ‘delete’ button. When you receive any such e-mail, simply hit the delete button. Do not respond to these e-mails.