SCAM - Looks like Ken Allen (of Performance Hobbies) got his e-mail hacked

Just got a message purportedly from Ken saying that he, wife and kids are stranded in Philippines, please send $. Figured I'd post a note here about the e-mail in hopes that no one actually sends any money. Guessing that many here have ordered from/communicated with him in the past, and are likely getting the same e-mail.

I've left voice mail for him letting him know.

Yes I got it. Let us know when you hear back from him.

I talked with him a few minutes ago and he said his phone was ringing off the hook. His account got hacked, so just disregard the email.

Also got it.

For those wondering what it said....


This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort. I came down here to Quezon City, Philippines with my family for a short vacation but unfortunately, we were mugged and robbed at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All cash, credit cards and cell phones were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our lives and passports.

We've been to the embassy and the police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in less than 12hrs from now but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills about $2,450. Can you help us out? Get back to me immediately to let you know the easiest way to get the fund to us.

We are depressed at the moment.

Best Regards,

Ken Allen

Gary Byrum said:

I talked with him a few minutes ago and he said his phone was ringing off the hook. His account got hacked, so just disregard the email.

Click to expand...

Cool that enough people here know & care. Glad you got through to him.

I also received the email about 12n. It sounded like it could be a scam. Before I responded I wanted to check the Forum to see what was known about Ken's situation...not very surprised the email was from a hacker. Hopefully it's only his email account that has been hacked.

It's more of an inconvenience hoax than a scam, because there is no message to have the funds sent to a bogus account or address. It just says to contact him, which means his email will be flooded with people asking questions. What a pain for everyone involved.

One clear key to international scamming is the lack of knowledge of American idioms often displayed by the senders. In this case, it was the first sentence:

"This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort."

Do you know anyone who talks like that?

Glad he is okay, but sorry he is now getting e-mail and phone bombed.

75Grandville said:

Just got a message purportedly from Ken saying that he, wife and kids are stranded in Philippines, please send $. Figured I'd post a note here about the e-mail in hopes that no one actually sends any money. Guessing that many here have ordered from/communicated with him in the past, and are likely getting the same e-mail.

I've left voice mail for him letting him know.

Click to expand...

Doh!

I knew I should have checked here first!


----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Allen
To: : undisclosed recipients
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 11:58 AM
Subject: EMERGENCY (Sad News) : Kennesson Allen



This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort. I came down here to Quezon City, Philippines with my family for a short vacation but unfortunately, we were mugged and robbed at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All cash, credit cards and cell phones were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our lives and passports.

We've been to the embassy and the police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in less than 12hrs from now but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills about $2,450. Can you help us out? Get back to me immediately to let you know the easiest way to get the fund to us.

We are depressed at the moment.

Best Regards,

Ken Allen

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

----- Original Message -----
From: Dave
To: Ken Allen
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 12:32 AM
Subject: EMERGENCY (Sad News) : Kennesson Allen


Hi Ken,

Sorry to hear of your predicament. You've been good to me so I will help you out with $1000.00. I'm sure others will chip in too. Call me when you're back.

Paypal sent to you. (NOT) :no:


Dave

DavieRockets said:

Doh!

I knew I should have checked here first!


----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Allen
To: : undisclosed recipients
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 11:58 AM
Subject: EMERGENCY (Sad News) : Kennesson Allen



This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort. I came down here to Quezon City, Philippines with my family for a short vacation but unfortunately, we were mugged and robbed at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All cash, credit cards and cell phones were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our lives and passports.

We've been to the embassy and the police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in less than 12hrs from now but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills about $2,450. Can you help us out? Get back to me immediately to let you know the easiest way to get the fund to us.

We are depressed at the moment.

Best Regards,

Ken Allen

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

----- Original Message -----
From: Dave
To: Ken Allen
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 12:32 AM
Subject: EMERGENCY (Sad News) : Kennesson Allen


Hi Ken,

Sorry to hear of your predicament. You've been good to me so I will help you out with $1000.00. I'm sure others will chip in too. Call me when you're back.

Paypal sent to you. (NOT) :no:


Dave

Click to expand...

HAHA!

Scammers are so stupid. I wish that there was a button that I could push that would launch a Salvo of Cruise Missiles at a bunch of Scammers and their Families. Especially the Nigerian ones, those are just over the Top!

TopRamen said:

Scammers are so stupid. I wish that there was a button that I could push that would launch a Salvo of Cruise Missiles at a bunch of Scammers and their Families. Especially the Nigerian ones, those are just over the Top!

Click to expand...

Build your own! A couple of half-scale patriots, some gasoline, a little black powder, ... :wink:

Something else occurs to me regarding this email. First, if he's lost his wallet, phones, money but not passport... how is he sending this email?
Second, how does he greet you--- Dearest loved one? Sorry to trouble you, my clients.. Jimbo-- I need help! Which would sound real to you?
Third, so he can't leave the hotel until the bill is settled. What hotel didn't request a valid credit card AT CHECK IN??!! They should already have the means of payment. They can't keep him from walking out. In fact, they would prefer that he leave... if his payment or card is invalid!
Fourth, I spotted the lack of American idiom in the first line right off, as well.

Sheesh!

The stilted English should have been a clue to anyone who knows Ken!
It almost sounds like the author is from China, based on the use of the language in the email.
The Russian scammers don't write like that, at least the ones I have seen before.

I got that e-mail too! It was obviously a scam, as people in trouble contact family and close friends for help . . . not their customer base.:grin:

With all due respect to my TRF rocket buddies, you are the last people I'd be emailing from the Quezon City lock-up.

This scam is still going around, as I just got the same email.

Got the email today too. I thought, "this seems odd."
Went straight to the junk mail folder.

Adrian

I called him after receiving it and confirmed it was a scam also.

Dunno if anyone else noticed that the "reply-to" address was NOT Ken's Yahoo email address. That's usually the tip-off that the email is bogus.

Be sure to enable the "show all details" on your email client. You can see all sorts of odd things going on.

Lookup "London mugging scam". This is just a variation on it.

It was attempted against me on Facebook twice in one week a few years ago as two friends' accounts got hacked. The first time I was wary, because I knew the person was not in London. In fact, I got him on the phone as I had the hacker in chat.

The second time I decided to play along and strung the guy out for awhile thinking he was going to get my bank account numbers... Kept him going for thirty minutes until he eventually he got the clue and abruptly unfriended me.

o1d_dude said:

Dunno if anyone else noticed that the "reply-to" address was NOT Ken's Yahoo email address. That's usually the tip-off that the email is bogus.

Be sure to enable the "show all details" on your email client. You can see all sorts of odd things going on.

Click to expand...

LW and I did a check on that and they matched. What we had on file (in our address books) matched the return path in the details perfect. And if I recall, there was no "reply to" in the message.

These are the message headers as displayed in my email client...


Subject: EMERGENCY (Sad News) : Kennesson Allen
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 09:01:19 -0700
From: Ken Allen <[email protected]>
Reply-To: Ken Allen <[email protected]>
To: undisclosed recipients: ;

Yandex is a free email service doing business out of Europe. Not Yahoo.

Ken uses Yandex for his mail service?

o1d_dude said:

These are the message headers as displayed in my email client...


Subject: EMERGENCY (Sad News) : Kennesson Allen
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 09:01:19 -0700
From: Ken Allen <[email protected]>
Reply-To: Ken Allen <[email protected]>
To: undisclosed recipients: ;

Yandex is a free email service doing business out of Europe. Not Yahoo.

Ken uses Yandex for his mail service?

Click to expand...

I didn't see anything like that when I checked the details in the email properties. I no longer have the email so I can't confirm that. I guess the bottom line is; I called him, and it was bogus. Not everybody is like some of us that will do the research and find the facts. Plenty enough have weighed in at this point and I really hope nobody got took on it.

Got one.