Write in approximate Dutch, the missive does not go overboard when it comes to panic his target and to incite him to pay 5000 € to a complete stranger entrenched in the shadows. Long story short: there’s a bounty on your head, a hit man is hot on your trail, threatening to douse you with acid if you don’t pay him money within 48 hours.
“A crook, details Safeonweb, pretending to be a contract killer contacts you at random and tells you that he has been hired to kill or injure you, but that you will be spared if you pay money. The criminal forbids you to call the police. If you contact the scammer, he will give you his bank details to pay the money. This type of scam aims to scare you into transferring money without help or additional information. »
Obviously, everything is false and this phishing mail plays on fear to make you lower your guard and encourage you to pay the amount claimed.
Do not answer, do not pay
As Safeonweb advises, “Do not reply to these messages and delete them immediately. These messages are sent randomly. If you reply to the message, you are signaling that your email address is being used and that you are at risk of being scammed again. »
Before continuing: “Never send money or give credit card details, online account details or personal information to anyone you do not know. If you transferred money, contact your bank as soon as possible. If the person continues to threaten you, contact the police. Warn your friends and family about this type of scam. »
Proximus and the Cybersecurity Center at the center of the latest waves
Waves of phishing e-mails follow one another at regular intervals in our e-mail boxes. These messages generally wave a threat or a reward at the time of deceiving our vigilance.
Among the significant waves of recent weeks, we can note: