I was walking with a friend on Labor Day morning in Brainerd about 10:30 a.m. All the sudden my phone lit up with call after call from friends asking about an email they had received from me. The email asked for a favor for me if they had an Amazon charge. I had not emailed them.
If my friends responded they were told: “I need help with a problem. I’ve been trying to order an Amazon Gift Card email delivery for my niece on Amazon. It’s her birthday. My card was declined.”
Then the person asked to use their Amazon account for $200 to help me out. It was signed, “Thanks, Virgie.” When my friends responded to the email and asked if it was real, a return email went out saying, “Yes it was.” I knew nothing about any of this.
A few of my friends were suspicious so they called me. I was stunned. The email must have gone out to over 100 people from my mail list — some of whom I hardly know.
I contacted my internet provider. They told me that is the biggest scam going on right now. So please, everybody, be aware that anyone asking for money is likely a scam — even if they manage to put it through someone’s email address. I have changed passwords but will not be using email for a while. I spent the rest of Labor Day and Tuesday trying to alert as many friends as possible telling them that it was a scam and not to open emails from me.
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I am heartsick about this hacker’s audacity and ability to do such a thing. Everyone beware!
Virgie Bundy
Pillager
