# What's my friend up to here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578 "2011-02-07T21:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/1 "2011-02-07T21:14:37Z")
An old friend just sent me an email along the lines of this: > [@](#): > > This might seem a bit of an odd request (and I will not be offended if you said no), but if I deposited some money into your bank account (£840, I could do this through the internet) - could you give me a cheque for that amount? > > (oh and don’t mention it to the wife!) If it came from anywhere else my scam alert would be doing overtime, but I know this guy and his wife very well and I can’t really imagine he’s up to no good. I’m thinking along the lines of some sort of surprise for his missus, but I can’t really work out what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/2 "2011-02-07T21:19:14Z")
It’s not your friend. Someone hacked into his email account and is either phishing for bank account numbers or is trying to get you to send him a check. Give him a call. I’ll bet he doesn’t know a thing about it. This is just a twist on the “We’re in London and got mugged, could you wire us some money” scam from a few months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/3 "2011-02-07T21:22:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It’s not your friend. Someone hacked into his email account and is either phishing for bank account numbers or is trying to get you to send him a check. > > Give him a call. I’ll bet he doesn’t know a thing about it. > > This is just a twist on the “We’re in London and got mugged, could you wire us some money” scam from a few months ago. Straight off that’s what I thought. But it came from his work email address. He included some personal information as well that wouldn’t be obvious to someone who didn’t know me. If he asked to send me a cheque and then wire him, yeah, dodgy, but it’s the other way around? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/4 "2011-02-07T21:32:16Z")
Ask him something personal. Something you couldn’t find on the internet. Last time someone tried the on me (via chat), I asked her “What floor did you live on in college and what odd thing did you do to your dorm room” that ended that real quick, and I was \> \< this close to going through with it. Someone hacked into her facebook account so they knew her husband and kids name and it was very easy to come up with a convincing story. At this point I hadn’t yet heard of the “I’m stuck in London” scam. Ask something personal to make sure it’s not a co-worker. Actually, if this is something you’d be willing to do, just call him and do it over the phone. I’ll bet it’s not really him. In fact, I’d suggest calling anyways (even to decline if it really is him) just he knows what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/5 "2011-02-07T21:35:52Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > If he asked to send me a cheque and then wire him, yeah, dodgy, but it’s the other way around? He’s probably just phishing for your account info then. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/6 "2011-02-07T21:36:39Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Straight off that’s what I thought. But it came from his work email address. He included some personal information as well that wouldn’t be obvious to someone who didn’t know me. If he asked to send me a cheque and then wire him, yeah, dodgy, but it’s the other way around? The scammer will deposit a bogus money order in your bank account. You write him a good check which he immediately cashes. Eventually your bank will tell you that the money order (from the 8th National Bank Of Upper Freedonia or something) is no good (and if that means you’re overdrawn they’ll try and stick you with it). ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/7 "2011-02-07T21:41:39Z")
There is absolutely no reason to believe normal people would legitimately want do something like this. Moving, hiding and fooling people out of their money are all easily accomplished through normal means - even easier with strangers over the Internet. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/8 "2011-02-07T21:43:35Z")
Call your friend directly & ask him. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/9 "2011-02-07T21:47:03Z")
I called my friend but there’s no answer. But ok it’s a scam. I’m going to reply and see how they play it. To cash a cheque though surely they’d need a bank account in my friend’s name? And I’m interested to see where they ask me to send it. As mentioned, probably they’re phishing for my bank details, but to make a transfer in the UK all I’d need to provide would be an account number and sort code (which are on every cheque written anyway) - how can they scam me with just this information? ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/10 "2011-02-07T21:48:43Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Call your friend directly & ask him. Yeah, this. I’m kind of confused as to why you thought it was a better idea to ask this on a message board rather than directly ask your friend. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/11 "2011-02-07T21:52:21Z")
They may have access to an electronic check processor. They’ll feed your routing/account numbers into it and siphon off whatever they think they can get away with. ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/12 "2011-02-07T21:54:24Z")
Shouldn’t you be reporting this sort of thing to the local authorities? I’d start there. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/13 "2011-02-07T21:56:22Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > To cash a cheque though surely they’d need a bank account in my friend’s name? And I’m interested to see where they ask me to send it. That’s what I was confused about as well. When my ‘friend’ IM’d me on facebook saying she got mugged in London and asked if I could wire her some money, I asked if it was really her. Her response was “Well, we’ll need to show an ID to get the money from Western Union and you’ll send it in our name, so that should prove it” I didn’t think to ask why they have an ID but no credit cards after being mugged, but that’s besides the point. I wonder how they handle that part. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/14 "2011-02-07T21:57:34Z")
> [@srzss05](#): > > Yeah, this. I’m kind of confused as to why you thought it was a better idea to ask this on a message board rather than directly ask your friend. Like I said I didn’t initially think this was a scam. I was a bit concerned that if I called him and said “hey what are you up to?” he might say something like “just trust me on this one” and I’d be in a bit of an awkward position. I was wondering if this could have a legitimate outcome but it seems like not. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/15 "2011-02-07T22:00:35Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Like I said I didn’t initially think this was a scam. I was a bit concerned that if I called him and said “hey what are you up to?” he might say something like “just trust me on this one” and I’d be in a bit of an awkward position. I was wondering if this could have a legitimate outcome but it seems like not. That seems like a weird thing for a friend to expect you to do, especially over email. If I were going to legitimately lend a friend money I wouldn’t do it in this bizarre manner–I’d just write them a check. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/16 "2011-02-07T22:11:13Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Like I said I didn’t initially think this was a scam. I was a bit concerned that if I called him and said “hey what are you up to?” he might say something like “just trust me on this one” and I’d be in a bit of an awkward position. I was wondering if this could have a legitimate outcome but it seems like not. No, see, what’s going to happen is that you’ll ask him what’s going on and he’ll have no idea. Then you’ll tell him to check his email (webmail and client if he has access to both) and he’ll see the same outgoing mail to everyone in his address book. Then you’ll tell him to change his password. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/17 "2011-02-07T23:27:01Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > I was a bit concerned that if I called him and said “hey what are you up to?” he might say something like “just trust me on this one” and I’d be in a bit of an awkward position. Do your friends make a habit of behaving like people in bromance movies? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/18 "2011-02-07T23:32:57Z")
Posting to see the outcome of this! ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/19 "2011-02-08T00:19:48Z")
It strikes me as odd that anyone would ask for money by email when they can call you direct and answer the many questions you will likely have. I vote scam. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578/20 "2011-02-08T00:49:31Z")
Didn’t we have a similar thread not that long ago? (aka, also posting to find out the answer.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-my-friend-up-to-here/570578.md?page=2)