Email Hacking scam "from Friends"

Someone is hacking into Hotmail accounts then sending out emails from that account to friends asking them to help because a member of their family has been taken sick on holiday and needs a life saving operation.

It will use the same words or way of writing that
you would expect from that friend gleaned from
other emails and they promise that they will give
you back the money when they get back from their holiday. They even pick a country which your friend is known to visit regularly

If you receive such an email and are afraid it might be genuine. Double check the validity of the request by phoning your friend direct or going to their home.

Something similar happened with me.
Someone in this website pm'd me, saying that she is in urgent need of help. She gave me her email and told me to reach her through that. Thinking she might really be in need, I emailed back. She said that somebody came and killed her parents at night. Her father has left her their property and money, and she said that the people with whom she stays now, wants to kill her and take her property. She escaped from there and is now staying in some refugee camp. She is from another country and said me to help her in transfering her money to my bank account (though I don't have one) in our country.
I didn't know what to do, so I did not reply to her. Can this be true?
And her email ext. was hotmail.

Don't ever EVER EVER EVER EVER give anyone you do not know money. Even if you think you know them, please use good judgment.

This is a well known scam.

Anyone who has an account on here that you get a PM and it's spam or turns out to be spam, please ignore it altogether and report it so the mods can handle it. :)

I get dozens of requests for money or to login into my account whether it be paypal or bank etc but if you look at the sent from email address its usually a Hotmail account so you can tell its fake.

Do not send money to anyone asking for it over the net. If they say their lives are in danger and are able to get to a bank to collect the money then they are able to go to the police and ask for help. If its a friend call them or call around to see them to ensure it is them you are speaking to.

Never click on links to keep an account going or for a security check because that's not how companies work its just a scam to capture your login details.

The same is for phone calls there have been scams where people receive a phone call or a man at the door telling them they are from their bank asking for answers to security questions then telling the person to ring another number to verify they are from the bank but its not the bank they are calling its the crooks. They get all the information and empty the persons bank accounts.

You have to be very aware that people are not who they say they are. Whenever anyone tries to put me at my ease by telling me that my calls are recorded I tell them that's ok I'm recording them too and anyone dubious generally hangs up.

Hmm...thanks. Glad that I didn't reply...

What gets me is how people can be so heartless

It surprised me too, but look at all the old ladies that get ripped off. Its a heartless world we live in

Sure is Milly