‘Hitman’ scams are a relatively new type of scam that you may encounter. As this type of scam increases in popularity, you need to understand what this is and how to avoid them. It starts by someone getting a person’s e-mail address which is fairly easy these days.
The writer e-mails the mark, states that they have been hired to kill the recipient, but feel bad about carrying out the contract so will not do it if they are paid a certain amount of money. Naturally, this is a shock to the person receiving the e-mail. On average several thousands of dollars are lost if a person falls for this scam.
This type of criminal plays on people’s fears. The prevalence of television has familiarized us with the concept of the hitman or hired gun. This does not, as a rule, happen to the everyday person, especially when they have done nothing to warrant such a threat.
There are people who are terrified, however, and immediately send the amount of cash that has been requested. Other people contact the authorities, who handle this type of situation professionally. This is the proper course of action if you should encounter such a message.
A variation of this type of scam will seem to come from an urban police department somewhere in the world. The email states that your name is on a list for potential murders or attacks. Personal information is then solicited from the recipient. This is an attempt at an identity theft and no personal information should ever be given. That’s why it’s important to use telephone look up sources such as ip-sniffer.info/235/index.asp in able to verify that the caller is really who he or she claim to be.
The personal information gleaned from the victim can be used to clear out the bank accounts and credit cards of the person, robbing them of all their money. The victim’s credit record is a complete loss, and they become absolutely broke with no funds to speak of.
It is expected that this scam will become more prevalent as time goes on. If you want to avoid falling victim to this, don’t open emails from people you don’t know. Even e-mails that seem legitimate, and which may seem to be coming from a reputable company, should be treated carefully. If you’re not actively engaged in business with someone, don’t buy it. Scammers are now altering well-known business names such as WalMart and Yahoo in order to gain access to users’ accounts.
It’s critical that you try to keep your e-mail address private, similar to your traditional mailing address. Even though, through modern technology, that account can be surveyed, it can only allow the scanner in if you open his e-mail. The rule of thumb, to avoid scams like the hitman, is to use the delete key.
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