Online Fraud
One morning a homeowner received an email from his grandson Tom, who was in trouble. Tom had been in a car accident the night before, was facing possible criminal charges and needed money for a lawyer. Within 20 minutes another mail was received. This one was from a man who identified himself as Tom’s attorney, who provided a rundown of the situation.
Apparently, the driver in the other car, a foreign diplomat from Trinidad was injured. The diplomat had agreed to accept $1,950 to cover costs and was ready to sign a release just as soon as the funds were wired. The homeowner called Tom yet got no answer. Fearing for his grandson, he paid cash for the MoneyGram, and sent it off. The next morning another email arrived from the lawyer looking for more money. The homeowner called his grandson again, only to find out Tom had never been in an accident.