General Chat

If you recieve an e-mail pretending to be from PayPal warning you that your account is due to expire don't reply. It's asking people to update their credit card details and the information it asks for can allow access to bank accounts. There are more details of this on:bbc(.)co(.)uk under the heading technology. Also fake e-mail from Microsoft claiming to be update. Microsoft DO NOT send updates via e-mails.

I have also received a message from the nice man in Nigeria. Such a shame I haven't been able to help him! Morning Marly. Elisabeth

The "nice man in Nigeria" has many relatives and has been trying this one for years. Margaret

Jackie.... Twigged this one straight away when I got this one from Paypal ? last week DON'T open the attachment. MIKE.

That nice man in Nigeria gets around doesn't he, he's even related to me! Seriously though, I wonder how many people fall for it! Maggy, West Yorkshire

And dont click on any links in an email. Genuine people such as paypal, banks, credit card companies etc. will never ask for sensitive information in an email. If you do click on the link, have a look at the address bar at the top of your screen. But DONT enter any information.

That 'nice man' from Nigeria, told me he was deposed royalty!! He needed funds to reclaim his throne !! Sadly, I was unable to help!! I need all my thousands of pounds for family research!! Oh well, bang goes my Nigerian knighthood!! Steph

we've had warning letter from both our bank and credit card companys about this scam and they tell us never to gove out any security codes or personal info to an email because they never ask for it that way

Also, if you get an e-mail purporting to be from Microsoft telling you to download updates, bin it. Microsoft do not e-mail customers and this is a virus carrier.

I read somewhere that in London, on any Saturday morning, you can find 4 or 5 people waiting around in hotel lobbies for their nigerian contact.

Hi, Regarding scam e-mails. I had one forwarded to me a few weeks ago which I found quite upsetting. It contained a photograph of a lovely baby girl and the e-mail was supposedly from her parents, the baby had been diagnosed with brain cancer and they had to raise money for an operation. They stated that AOL had promised to pay 5 somethings (can't remember now if it was cents or dollars) for every person the email was sent to. The thing that first told me it was a scam, was that the title of this email was sorry for using caps but thats how it appeared IF YOU DELETE THIS YOU ARE TRULY MEAN!!! If I was appealing for strangers help in saving my daughters life, I wouldn't title it like this. Anyway, I decided not to forward it as I thought it was quite upsetting, but have emailed AOL contact and asked their advice, you would imagine they would know it it was true. I have kept the mail ina folder and told AOL that I would forward it to them should they want to look at it, but have not heard a thing from them. I think that if this is a scam, which is most probably is, they should be stopped, it is so sick and I can't understand how they get away with it! Sarah

Yes, so have I! I had 2 in 3 days.One was from a Nigerian princess!!! She asked me to put her thousands in my bank account!!!! Notified my email co about these messages, although no response from them. Jackie

Yes, so have I! I had 2 in 3 days.One was from a Nigerian princess!!! She asked me to put her thousands in my bank account!!!! Notified my email co about these messages, although no response from them. Jackie

Also had that one today Marley! Maggy, West Yorkshire

They caught the originator of the Nigerian Oil, Royalty scam. he was a Greek Australia and living in a fibro house in the country. And yes Many ppl have fallen for the scam. They seised his assets [some 23 million] assets remain frozen. I will post here again with more factual details when the case comes to court. James Birch, Adelaide, South Australia.

I have had two of these today, strange but they only started coming through when i joined genealogy websites with my e-mail address given for replies to be sent. Has anyone else noticed the same. George

George It's nothing new, I've been having these for years by post and e-mail, well before joining friends Reunited and GC. I suspect that they use all sorts of sources for addresses, professional registers, phone books, spam lists, web sites, etc. etc..

I am feeling really left out - why do no princesses write to me? Or maybe they have seen my bank account and realise that there's no point!

Hi all, I was starting to feel left out, lol, as I had'nt received any of these emails.... until today!! The nice man from Nigeria sent me one this morning and thanks to all it has now been nicely deleted. I can only say that I do'nt think it has anything to do with GC as I have been using this site for about 9mths now and as I say this is my first. Allie.

HI I'm the "nice man" from Nigeria. Just send me all your money and I'll stop emailing you. Badger Bill Worthing P.S. Actually it's the Inland Revenue just trying to screw you for every penny you possess.