Possible Scam email - how to deal with it.

[Deleted User]

I received an email allegedly from a person I know, but not a close friend.  She said she was in hospital, not allowed visitors and could I buy a gift card for her - for her niece's birthday today.

It was sent to an old email address I rarely use now.  STUPIDLY (I think) I replied giving my present email address, saying that I seldom use the old email address now and asking which hospital she was in/ward number.  Now this ? scam emailer has my current email address as well as my old email address.

Does is sound like a scam to you and am I at risk with this person having both my old and my current email addresses?

No reply from this lady's telephone and I telephoned a mutual friend - no reply from the friend's telephone number and I'm feeling a bit panicky.

Any advice as to what to do and am I now at risk in any way?  Thank you for any help.

sammyjammy

Defo a scam, even if it wasn't I am sure the niece would wait.  Just ignore it or delete it, not a huge amount they can do with your email address other than send you more scams!

[Deleted User]

Thanks very much, sammyjammy.  I was worried about the person now having my old and my current email addresses but, very reassuring as you say. If they can send me more scams, I could understand, but I worried in case they could hack and get into my old and my current email addresses.

I appreciate you replying because I was a bit panicky.

JANETSAVING

It’s definitely a scam. 

But I wouldn’t worry to much about your email being in the hands of scammers.
Unless you are extraordinarily careful with releasing your email when buying stuff on the internet then almost inevitably your email address will at some point be for sale on the dark web.
But this in itself should not be a problem, I get heaps of scam emails each week, just don’t open an email that looks suspicious and definitely don’t click on any links that are offered.
Just send the email to the spam folder.
If you do this religiously, then the number of scam emails you receive will diminish to near zero over time.

DullGreyGuy

You're just at risk of receiving a higher level of spam/scam emails as you've shown that you'll at least in part engage with them rather than just binning them. Not the end of the world, wont harm you unless you actually fall for another one and give money/more personal data

[Deleted User]

Thank you very much for these reassuring replies.  I have just had a reply from the lady's friend and the lady has been hacked.  She is trying to sort it out now.  It was my old email address and it must have still been in her address book.

J_B

Was it something like this?

I'm so sorry to bother you with this, Please I need to get an Apple Gift card by email for my Niece, it's her birthday but I can't do this now because I'm currently on a short trip. I tried purchasing online but unfortunately no luck with it. Can you get it from any store around you? I'll reimburse you. Kindly let me know if you can handle this.

[Deleted User]

Very similar:  "...   I am sorry for bothering you with this mail, I need to get an Apple gift card for my niece, it's her birthday today and I promised to get it for her, but I can't do this now because I'm currently in the hospital. I have Arthritis in the knee and ankle and all my effort purchasing it online proved abortive.

Can you please get it from any store around you or online?. Kindly let me know if you can handle this.

Many thanks ..."

Have you received the email yourself, J_B?

x_raphael_xx

Definately a scam, there are very similar ones going round, especially the whatsapp "mum help my phone is broken, bank is frozen and I need to pay this bill".
I would ask myself, why would someone message a very old, not close friend, to buy a gift card for their niece, and not ask the childs parent to spot them for a moment why they were in hospital.

[Deleted User]

Yes,  x_raphael_xx, and although I did not fall for it by agreeing to get the gift card, I was stupid enough to reply (unintentionally confirming that it was my old, seldom used email address) and give them my new email address.

Although I may get spam emails as a result I'm glad of the reassuring replies here - I had worried that as a result, somehow, my own email addresses, address books, would be hacked.  It is a helpful, although unwanted, learning curve.

J_B

[Deleted User] said:

Have you received the email yourself, J_B?

Yes
Back in March this year .....