Asking for Money Scam

Hello Kind people,

This the headliner of the email, if you go scroll all the way down you could see how the scam started, and as you go up you'll see how it ended. I would appreciate any sort of help, I felt very stupid when I contacted the real Aaron and said that I had been most likely scammed.


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Received: from [10.35.255.48] (mobile-198-228-211-017.mycingular.net. [198.228.211.17])
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Fri, 03 Aug 2012 23:23:04 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Madrid trip
References: <CABpaLVTA-YyEsQLh+ud2ziH=ChCFvXjAo1ZKQEQE42=bjCTDCA@mail.gmail.com> <[email protected]> <1069065197-1343923572-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-2055195723-@b27.c20.bise7.blackberry> <[email protected]> <1818727706-1343924780-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-167540544-@b27.c20.bise7.blackberry> <[email protected]> <1412542120-1343928054-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-954858057-@b27.c20.bise7.blackberry>
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In-Reply-To: <1412542120-1343928054-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-954858057-@b27.c20.bise7.blackberry>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 23:22:58 -0700
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
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Yo Aaron,=20

How's everything coming along, were you able to get out of this mess?=20

On Aug 2, 2012, at 10:20 AM, "Aaron " <[email protected]> wrote:

> Okay send it=20
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2012 09:55:38=20
> To: [email protected]<[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: Madrid trip
>=20
> Can't promise I can send you $100 since I just paid for my school books, a=
nd I don't enough $ to make it up to that amount; however I am willing to se=
nd you $50.=20
>=20
> Sent from my iPhone
>=20
> On Aug 2, 2012, at 9:26 AM, "Aaron " <[email protected]> wrote:
>=20
>> Thanks, please make it up to $100 if you can.=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> Best,
>>=20
>> Aaron
>>=20
>>=20
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:
>> Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2012 09:22:37=20
>> To: [email protected]<[email protected]>
>> Subject: Re: Madrid trip
>>=20
>> How soon do you need it? I'd probably be able to make the transaction in 3=
hours or so. Like I said it's a small amount, say $50, but I hope that help=
s you.=20
>>=20
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>=20
>> On Aug 2, 2012, at 9:06 AM, "Aaron " <[email protected]> wrote:
>>=20
>>>=20
>>> Thanks, it was a horrible incident but am glad I was not hurt. I really n=
eed your help, I don't know how much you can help me with but I need to borr=
ow about 500 euro, will pay back as soon as I get home. Western union is the=
fastest option to wire funds to me. See details needed for western union.
>>>=20
>>> Name on my ID: Aaron
>>> Location: Madrid, Spain
>>>=20
>>> You will need to email me the western union MTCN number as soon as you m=
ake transfer so I can receive money here, I have my passport as a means of i=
dentification. I will receive money from WU with it.
>>>=20
>>> PLEASE advise, how soon can you make the transfer?
>>>=20
>>> Best,
>>>=20
>>> Aaron
>>>=20
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From:
>>> Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2012 09:04:37=20
>>> To: [email protected]<[email protected]>
>>> Subject: Re: Madrid trip
>>>=20
>>> Hi Aaron,
>>>=20
>>> I'm quite appalled to hear your current predicament. I don't have much m=
oney on my pocket myself, but I could give you a small amount money. This is=
me hoping that it amounts to the total cost of your bills. I'm sure others w=
ill be able to give larger amounts. Let me know how can I send you this mone=
y, and perhaps update us on any turnout of events.=20
>>>=20
>>> Sincerely,=20
>>>=20
>>>
>>>=20
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>=20
>>> On Aug 2, 2012, at 6:22 AM, Aaron <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>=20
>>>> Hi
>>>>=20
>>>> Just hoping this email reaches you well, I'm sorry for this emergency
>>>> but I just have to let you know my present predicament. I made an
>>>> urgent trip to Madrid, Spain. Everything was fine until I was attacked
>>>> on my way back to the hotel, I wasn't hurt but I lost my money, bank
>>>> cards, mobile phone and my bag in the course of this attack. I
>>>> immediately contacted my bank in order to block my cards and also made
>>>> a report at the nearest police station. I've been to the embassy and
>>>> they are helping me with my documentation so i can fly out but I'm
>>>> urgently in need of some money to pay for my hotel bills and my flight
>>>> ticket home, will PAY BACK as soon as i get back home.
>>>>=20
>>>> Kindly let me know if you would be able to help me out so I can
>>>> forward you the details required for a wire transfer. I will expect
>>>> your response soon.
>>>>=20
>>>> Best,
>>>>=20
>>>> Aaron

Unfortunately he is right--you have been scammed.

This is a fairly common scam. The scammers, who are typically African, buy login information for phished or hacked email accounts. They then log into the accounts, and send an email to all of the people in the address book like the one you received (the story may vary slightly.) In reality, they don't know you, and they don't even know the person whose box they have stolen. Their goal is simply to get some quick cash.

Sadly, money that was sent via Western Union, once picked up, is irretrievable and essentially untraceable. WU won't know the scammer's real name, location, or anything else, as he was posing as your friend. He might have had fake ID, but he likely didn't even have that, as ID is not always required if the recipient has all the necessary information regarding the transfer. WU has a (deliberate) loophole to allow people who have no ID to pick up money (for example, if their wallet with ID was stolen while they were traveling) and scammers routinely take advantage of that loophole.

I removed your friend's last name to prevent him being targeted by other scammers.

Thank you very much for getting back to me. Is there anything I could do at all about this scam?

A baiter has hatched a plan so that, one day, a perpetrator of this scam will contact a bunch of fake baiting characters instead of real people; hopefully this will result in the perpetrator or some accomplice being identified. Until that happens, we'll just sit tight.

A friend of mine once had that happen to him. I got an email saying that he was in Wales and needed money. He's English, so traveling to Wales is imaginable, but I called his phone number here and found out that he had not, in fact, gone on any trip to Britain. Soon after that he sent an email saying that the previous email was a scam, then changed email addresses.