E-mail fraud インターナショナル「オレオレ詐欺」

（日本語は後半です）

Last week, I got an e-mail from my father's old friend in California whom I've known for many years as well.
It was titled, "Horrific Trip --- XXXX(his name)".

And the text read as follows:

I really hope you get this fast. I could not inform anyone about our trip, because it was impromptu. we had to be in Philippines for Tour.. The program was successful, but our journey has turned sour. we misplaced our wallet and cell phone on our way back to the hotel we lodge in after we went for sight seeing. The wallet contained all the valuables we had. Now, our passport is in custody of the hotel management pending when we make payment.
I am sorry if i am inconveniencing you, but i have only very few people to run to now. i will be indeed very grateful if i can get a short term loan from you ($2,390). this will enable me sort our hotel bills and get my sorry self back home. I will really appreciate whatever you can afford in assisting me with. I promise to refund it in full as soon as soon as I return. let me know if you can be of any assistance. Please, let me know soonest.
Thanks so much

It ended with his name and his e-mail address.

It was a complete hoax, of course.
First, including his name in the title is not what he usually does.
Second, not addressing me by name to begin the text is not his usual style, either.
Thirdly, I wouldn't be the person he would turn to even if he were really in trouble.
He's got great children and grandchildren.  He got relatives all over the states,
and even in Italy where he tracked down during his "finding his family roots trip" some years ago.
And fourth, even though the email address given in the text was the correct one,
the return address attached to the email was not.

Checking these points, I concluded that I just ignore the e-mail.

Then it occurred to me that my father might have gotten the same e-mail,
and might respond to it.  So, I e-mailed to my sister to warn him about it.

A couple of days later, my father telephoned me to say he did receive the same e-mail.
Now, the fact that we got a same e-mail without any reference to each other proves that this was a hoax.

I don't know something like this can happen to my readers.
But I do remember having received a very similar e-mail from a different person long time ago.
So, just be careful, my friends!


先週、父の古い友人で私もいろいろお世話になったことのあるアメリカ人の名前でメールが来た。
タイトルは「恐ろしい旅ーXXX(名前）」
本文は、フィリピンを旅行中、財布と携帯を失くしてしまい、
ホテル代を払わないとホテルがパスポートを渡してくれないので、
２３９０ドル貸してもらえないか。急に決めた旅行なので、事前に知らせていなかったけど、
他に頼る人もいないのでよろしく頼む、
との内容。

これ、メールによるオレオレ詐欺である。

第一に、タイトルに自分の名前を書くのは、この人の流儀ではない。
第二に、まともな大人なら誰でもそうであるように、本文の最初には私への呼びかけがあるはず。
第三に、この人は立派な息子も娘も彼らの孫もいて、全米に親戚が大勢いるばかりか、
何年か前に「ルーツを探る旅」でイタリアに行き、そちらの親戚も見つけ出して交流がある。
「他に頼る人」は山ほどいるのだ。
そして、第四に、本文に書かれたメールアドレスは本人のものだが、
メールをよく見ると、これに返信する為のアドレスは別物が入っている。

従ってこのメールは無視！と決め、PCを切ったあとで、
もしや父にもこのメールが行っているかもしれない、と思い当り、
携帯から妹にメールして、父に警告しておくように頼んでおいた。

はたせるかな数日後、父から電話で、やはり来た、と言ってきた。
そもそも、父と私に、それぞれに言及することなくこの知人からメールが来ることなどありえないから、それ自体が、こいつが偽物であることの証だ。

こんなことは滅多にないかもしれないけれど、
そういえば同じようなメールを何年か前に他の名前で受け取ったことがあるので、
誰かの身にも起こる話かもしれないと思い、書いてみた。