Death Threat e-mail makes front page of newspaper

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Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 9:45 pm

Well it was only the 'yourmedway' local paper, but it will also be on-line shortly, I hope. I've sent off an e-mail to the paper as they wanted examples of more letters, so they have been given pointers to this site and the scamwarners where there happens to be a very nice enquiry right along the lines of what appeared in the papers, sadly the paper didn't include the lad's e-mail address, so we can't add him to the list of chew toys.
If I can get a copy of the article I'll copy it in, otherwise keep a look out at www.yourmedway.co.uk where it should appear shortly.
The article covers the effect that the letter (reproduced in full) had on the couple that received it, and a quote from the local police.

Maybe the paper will visit her and scamwarners and write another article based on what they see.

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

long link

Now that is certainly the type of professional you wouldnt expect this type of scam to work on.

I havent given details you can read it all in the link, gadget is that the story you meant? just in case it wasnt.

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 2:48 am

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3840383.stm

same case without the horrible website Smile

I think it's a different story to Gadget's though.

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:09 am

But why wasn't this a criminal case? Or will that follow on from the civil action?

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:46 pm

Not the same as my story.

The story as written in the paper.
A death threat e-mail left a couple terrified after its chilling message dropped onto their home computer.
The e-mail, with the bolded subject line "someone you call your friend, wants you dead", demanded $8,000 to stop an assassination and warned against telling the police with a further threat to their family.
The middle-aged recipients, from Rainham, whom we have agreed not to name, said they were shaken and frightened and are still in fear despite assurances the message was part of a sick scam.
The recipient said: "It's awful. We couldn't sleep properly the night after we got it and my wife wouldn't answer the phone or the door.
"It is very direct, very clear and although there are a few grammatical errors, is very believable. You have to take something like that seriously, however much you think it's a hoax.
The e-mail, received at 8.40pm on Saturday, said the couple's names, photographs and "other necessary information" had been passed to the writer, who was a contract killer. However, it said that he "felt very sorry and bad for you" and would call off the murder in return for the cash.
It went on to offer a tape of the person who had ordered the "hit" with a demand for a further $5,000 afterwards.
It said: "If you are not ready for my help then I will have no choice but to carry on the assignment."
Medway Police's DCI John Sutton, who viewed the e-mail, said it was unusually menacing in its tone.
He said: "This threat appears to be a hoax, similar to those reported in America at the beginning of the year.
"The apparent scam is cropping up in e-mail boxes across the country and preying not on the recipients' greed or good intentions, but on their fears.
"The e-mail threatens to kill recipients if they do not pay thousands of dollars to the sender, who claims to be a hired assassin.
"Though some would not take such a threat seriously, the e-mail appears to be more credible than it might otherwise because of its use of personal information to make the message more intimidating.
"Recipients of such threats should not be overly distressed because personal information is widely available. Worried recipients may also be comforted by the fact that the poor grammar is common in the variants of this message.
A spokesman for e-mail service provider Virgin Media said that all users should install software to prevent receiving hoax and distressing e-mails.
The spokesman said: "I would advise the recipient to contact the police to see if the sender can be tracked down.
"It is likely it is a widely distributed scam e-mail. These are not automatically blocked but can be.
"I would adivse them to put on a spam filter and certainly not respond."

I've refrained from making comments at appropriate points during the text above. There are a few things that gave me rolly-eye syndrome.
But any publicity is good publicity.

I'll see if the newsdesk come visiting this site and scamwarners as well.

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:15 pm

yeah, definitel rolly eyes stuff for us at least.

Can we do anything imaginitive to launch an education campaign against 419s of any type? I was thinking of this a while back, we need something drop-dead simple as a hook for it, something not directly affiliated to Eater or Warners that we can put out as a broadcast to people at risk. My best shot at it was

Google "419"

get that stuck in people's mids a bit. easy. all they have to do is Google "419" and a wide cross-section of suitable warnings will appear. (including eater and warners btw). Forewarned is forearmed.

Thoughts on this?

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:28 pm

Unfortunately, many of the most vulnerable potential victims have no idea what it means to "Google" anything. And those who know what it means either don't know how to do it, or they're terrified of what will happen. They are particularly afraid of being overwhelmed by too much information.

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:40 pm

I'm convinced it's worth doing something. If it stops one victim getting hit, it'll make a difference.

You can't win them all, but those that you do win will be happier for it.

Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:43 pm

The Police didn't help.
"Medway Police's DCI John Sutton, who viewed the e-mail, said it was unusually menacing in its tone."
There's nothing unusual about the wording.
"the e-mail appears to be more credible than it might otherwise because of its use of personal information to make the message more intimidating."
What personal information?

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