Emergency Scams: Don't fall for a fake crisis

?I?m writing this with tears in my eyes,? began an email from an old friend. ?My family and I came to Madrid for a short vacation. We were mugged and all our cash and credit cards were stolen.?

How chilling! I wasn?t even aware they were in Spain, but it wasn?t too surprising as they?d always been big travelers. She went on to describe useless embassies and resistant police. Then, finally, ?Our flight leaves in a few hours but we?re having problems settling the hotel bills and the manager won?t let us leave until we do. I really need your financial assistance. Please, let me know if you can help us out? Am freaked out at the moment!!?

Could my friend truly have been in such an awful jam? Sure. Was she? No. It was an ?emergency scam,? a con that?s on the rise.

How it works: essentially, a scammer (or network of them) invents a feasible crisis, poses as someone you know, and then reaches out to you via email, a social networking site, or over the phone. They?ve been arrested, in a dreadful accident, or beaten up. If they called, the ?friend? sounds odd, but that?s because he or she is injured or weeping hysterically. Sometimes an authority figure or acquaintance does the talking, as your friend is behind bars or in a hospital bed. Whatever the case, you must send money right away or something even worse will happen.

These emergency scams can be deceptively easy to fall for. Leslie got an email from a friend who said he was traveling in London. He, too, had been mugged and was hurt, his cell phone was taken, and he desperately needed $3,000 to cover the cost of his hotel so he could return home. At first suspicious, Leslie checked his email to make sure it was correct. It was. In a panic, she went to Western Union and wired the funds.

Not long after, a Western Union employee called Leslie and inquired about the transaction. ?Are you sure that this is real?? he questioned, asking if she?d actually spoken to the man in need. ?No, his phone was stolen!? she responded. He instructed Leslie to call her friend?s family in Boston. She did, and soon discovered that he was fine ? but she?d been had.

Smartly, Leslie immediately contacted Western Union. Not to worry, the representative assured her. They stopped the transaction before the thief had picked up her thousands of dollars.

The takeaway: Never send money to someone claiming to be a loved one requiring financial assistance without first verifying that the story is accurate.

Because emergency scams typically involve travel, be on high alert for them right now. The holiday season is when many people are ? or could be ? on the road. You may be getting a message that sounds awfully similar to the one Leslie and I received. When you do, validate the story before responding or sending a penny. Chances are high it?s a scam, and if it is, go here to report it, and hit delete or hang up.

NOTE: Erica?s blog posts appear courtesy of Western Union, a BBB Accredited Business.

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About Erica Sandberg

I?m a personal finance expert, video show host, advice columnist, and features reporter. As spokesperson for such companies as Western Union and Bankrate Inc.?s Credit Card Guide, I provide readers and viewers with the latest news, helpful information, and best tips - so everyone can make wise choices. Prior to my current career, I was affiliated with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco for over ten years, and before that I taught high school English. I hold a B.A. in Art History from San Francisco State University, a certificate in personal financial planning from University of California, Berkeley, and a certificate in consumer credit counseling. My professional memberships include the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

Source: http://www.bbb.org/blog/2012/11/emergency-scams-dont-fall-for-a-fake-crisis/

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