Morris Minor Owners Club

Following correspondence from today, the only place my email address could be obtained from is these messageboards, I use a Gmail or another account for any other Morris Minor correspondence;

Read it bottom to top.
I suspected this was scamming and led him/her on, the address provided is empty wasteland on the outskirts of Madrid, no hotels in sight:

I will be able to receive it here with my ID at any western union office with and the details provided. Do remember to send me the details contained in the transfer slip like, MTCN Number, Senders Name, Amount Sent,as these will be required before i can pick up the money. It's so nice to get your feedback immediately you got my message, I'm really grateful for your effort and your concern about my situation, I'm seriously in need of your help right now. I will appreciate any amount you can assist me with. Please I want you to get the money to me through western union urgently to enable me pay the bills. you can send it to me with my name and the destination to receive in Spain.

Name: Ray Newell
ADDRESS: Avda. Europa nº2 Edificio A. 28922 Alcorcón. Madrid (Spain) the money. I'm counting on you...

Regards,
Ray
________________________________________
From:***************************
To:*************************************
Subject: RE: I need your assistance please!!!
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:08:19 +1000
No problem Ray, send me the details of your hotel and I will take care of the bill for you. If you advise the details of your flight, I can sort that out for you too.

If you need a bit of spending money I will forward to reception at your hotel

Sorry to hear about your bad luck

John

From: Ray Newell ********************************
Sent: Tuesday, 22 February 2011 10:24 AM
Subject: I need your assistance please!!!

How are you doing ? Sorry I didn't inform you about my traveling to Madrid - Spain for a program, I'm presently in Madrid and am having some difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel where my money and other valuable things were kept.I will like you to assist me with a loan of (£1,200 Euros - $1700 USD) to sort-out my hotel bills and to get myself back home. I will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist me with, I'll reimburse you at my return,let me know if you can be of any help? ASAP.

Awaiting for your prompt reply.

Best Regards,
Ray

some very dishonest but stupid people about

I think Ray's use of English is a little better than that having a few books to his name! I'm surprised that anyone would have wasted their time with such a scam.

Unfortunately people are easily duped, as the owner manager of two PI agencies in Australia I've seen some smart people fall for all sorts of tricks, if an MMOC member was to recieve this email they may not stop to think about the indications that its not kosher, and part with the money because they want to help Ray. THATS AS FAR AS MANY PEOPLE THINK.

I got that one this morning. Replied with a question only he would know the answer to.

Really amazes me how people fall for these seriously you have to be plain stupid if you can't spot something like this.
Call me cynical, but I am suspicous of everything online and all emails unless they come from someone I know personally and even then I would telephone.

Yep, the French Moggie club email address got one too.

Clearly it wasn't from Ray, but of course the worrying thing is the hijacking of his email address. No way was I going to reply to it.

I am afraid this sort of thing is now big business in North Africa and Southern Europe - People have said that they can't believe others fall for this. The sad fact is that some people do and sometimes at quite considerable cost. In days of old it was your traditional con artist pulling a fast one on a street corner, or begging letters from people you may never have heard of. Now the age of the internet and global communication is here I, We, You are opened up to global tricksters.

If something seems to be too good to be true it most likely is, never give passwords or personal details out to anyone, if you suspect anything fishy then quit communication with that person - don't get into any conversation they could be scamming you for personal details. If it is by phone then ask them for their number and say you will call them back - check out the number, a lot of suspect numbers are now being posted to the internet.

By the way I have fallen on hard times and if you have any spare money please send it to IanC at.........

Please send anything you can afford to my Morris Minor Restoration Fund

Whoo! now that's a good idea why didn't i think of that? Porcelain Green 4 dr desperately in need of nice new paint send funds!!

Sorry Mike and Lou but anyone with any spare funds can clearly see from the signature pics that my case is genuine!!!

You haven't seen my drive - full of deserving causes

On a more serious note, I hope Ray finds his wallet, you'd think head office would step in wouldn't you! Maybe he didn't think to ask them.

What does he expect !!

That's what happens when you publicise your hotmail address in newspapers.
:smt003