# Help needed - very bizarre and a bit off topic...



## Nat N (5 Aug 2013)

Hi folks,
I hope somebody will be able to help.... I received an email from famous Diana Walstad (yes, that one which wrote "that" book). I have had some communication with Diana over 3 years ago, and have not been on the forum where she posts for quite a while...
Today, out of the blue, I received an email from her email address asking for help. She and her family are stranded on the Philippines as they were robbed and all their credit cards and cash are stolen... She is asking to send a little bit of money via the Western Union and suggests that whoever replies she will write back with the details where to send the money to... Before you ask - she does say she contacted their bank but the replacement card/emergency finance will arrive only in a few days hence the Western Union and help of friends...
I am at a loss - I really would hate to think that I was the one mistrusting that email and did not rush to help. You never know - she might have posted to everybody in her mail list desperate for help... However, the email is to "undisclosed recepients" and suggests that one has to reply to get the info where to send the money to... This is where I am "stuck": it does remind of the phishing emails, does not it? Anybody with enough of computer knowledge to help? I could go and ask my email provider to display the IP address the email was sent from together with other things which I don't know much about...
If she really needs help I need to send money but if it is a virus or something like that... I am torn between replying to get to know where to send money and between the thought that it is simply her email address (which is on public view by the way on her website) is hacked into...
This is all very strange... Anybody with ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Nat


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## Ady34 (5 Aug 2013)

Stay well clear.....it stinks to me. 
My guess, old email being reused by unscrupulous scammers.
Put yourself in her shoes, robbed in the Philippines, police, contact family, ask them for help.....or email relative strangers asking for money?


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## worwood (5 Aug 2013)

I'd ignore this too - take some text from the email and search for it on google using quotation marks around the text (this searches for the exact text). I bet you any money you will find the exact same email listed as a scam somewhere...

Best thing you can do if try to let Diana know her email has been hacked via other means as the scammers monitor the emails for replies.


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## Nat N (5 Aug 2013)

Thanks Ady,
That what I thought - I am normally good about such sort of thing... It is just there was (still is) something niggling at the back of my head saying "what is this is true and she just sent it to everybody on her email list?" I imagine, the first thing I would do is to go to the local police and then contact the embassy (US embassy in her case)...


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## worwood (5 Aug 2013)

Oh and what email provider is she using? Depending on which company it is I might be able to assist


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## Nat N (5 Aug 2013)

Thanks Worwood... I tried to do the search on the bits I found in the "raw message" - no luck. I even went to the forum where Diana visits and half written a PM to her about hacking...


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## Nat N (5 Aug 2013)

Oh, thanks again Worwood. it is bellsouth.net


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## Tomfish (5 Aug 2013)

This exact scam was reported on radio 4 earlier this week. I think it is the result of an e-mail hack. It may be worth alerting her.


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## Christian Walker (5 Aug 2013)

Definite scam.


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## BigTom (5 Aug 2013)

Standard 'stranded traveler scam'. Sounds like Diana's email address has been compromised.


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## Nat N (5 Aug 2013)

O.K. Folks, thanks for curing my pangs of conscience. I will PM Diana telling her about this.
Worwood, if you can get any more info - this would be great (just to put things right and out of curiosity - sorry... I am a woman at the end of the day....)


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## RolyMo (5 Aug 2013)

Her account has been hacked. Ignore.


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## DoubleDutch (6 Aug 2013)

100%  this is a fraude !!!! Payments to Western Union are suspecious and this is not the way to get any help in a normal situation. No penny / cent !!


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## Ian Holdich (6 Aug 2013)




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## Nat N (6 Aug 2013)

You made me laugh Ian Honestly, I did make myself looking rather silly with all this fuss! I am not that bad or naive, honestly! I have had all sorts of spam - and was told I was far too suspicious! Diana's "stuff" was just different - firstly, I did communicate with her, it is HER email address, etc., etc... O.K., O.K. no excuse of having a "silly moment" (I wanted to write another expression but stopped - not sure if that one is allowed and accepted as "polite" or not!  ). I did PM her to tell about this but so far no reply...


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