Cell Phone Text Message Scam

[xiaofeizhu]

Hey all!

 

My dad (in law) got a message on his cell phone today that read like this (all in Chinese, I'm not providing an exact translation, just the jist)

 

Ma, Ba!

I had my wallet and phone stolen! I don't have money, can you please send 800 yuan to (account #...I forget the number and dad is sleeping now) at Nongye Bank. Please hurry, I'm using my friend's phone and his battery is going to die soon!

 

If my hubby and I had not just returned from Beijing (ie, we were still in Beijing) my poor dad would have sent it off in a flash. One of dad's co-workers went to the bank and then called the kid (not thinking about the fact that the e-mail said they lost their phone) and the kid was like "uh, no dad, I'm totally fine!"

 

So just let all your families know! Maybe you think your family wouldn't get suckered in but when I read it, I'm pretty sure I would have sent money if I had a kid that was in a different city, not at home, etc.

[tonado]

http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/4874645...al-corbett-caut

 

Consumer Advisory: PA Attorney General Corbett Cautions Consumers About Cell Phone Text "Spam" Or Scam Messages

[GZBILL]

It's a very, very common scam in China.

 

Thieves usually send this kind of message to everybody in the phone book of cell phones they steal.