# "Worst Vacation Ever" Scam **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 12, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095 "2011-02-12T02:20:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/1 "2011-02-12T02:20:15Z")
I got this e-mail this morning from my mother. > [@](#): > > I am writing from a Library 15 blocks away from the hotel where I lodged, need your help as soon as you check your e-mail. Unannounced to you before my short Vacation trip to Wales, England with the family few days ago. > > It was all going well until last night when we got mugged at gun point by 6 men returning from a Grocery store. Everything we had on us were stolen, phone, credit cards and cash, I have already canceled our cards. > > I explained all that has happened to the hotel management but yet they refused to understand and see reasons with us,instead they said they have heard such stories several times, been to the police and embassy here about the robbery, but they are not helping issues until proper investigations has been made. > > Our return flight leaves in few hours. Am yet to clear our hotel bills and they threatened to seize my passport if I do not sort it out. I have limited time to wait for further investigations. > > I really need your financial assistance now. Please let me know if you can help us out? I promise to make the refund once i get back. This is the worst vacation ever, England sucks!!! > > Hope to read from you soon. Well, it took me about ten seconds to know this was a scam. My parents were vacationing in Florida and it wasn’t like them to go traipsing off to Wales without telling anyone. Also the wording is a bit strange – I really doubt my mother, who’s in her late 70s, would ever say “England sucks.” And the wording is very awkward. I called them to warn them (Yes, they were in Florida). Then I replied to the e-mail, asking where I should send the money. I got a reply with an address. I e-mailed back saying I couldn’t get that much money together. Would $1000 be enough? I got a reply that that would be a big help. Meanwhile, my father logged on to their account and discovered his address book had been deleted. I got in touch with AOL and got information on how to contact their security department. My father got online with them and told him that, two people were logged in – my father and someone else. My father logged off and they locked out the other person. I was still getting replies from them an hour after I got the first message. My next step would have been to tell them, “I sent the money,” but neglect to give them the information they’d need to pick it up. My parents have been getting calls and e-mails asking about what happened to them in Wales. Luckily, I don’t think anyone sent any money. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/2 "2011-02-12T02:28:47Z")
Sounds like you were smart enough not to be gullible. But then, Reality is your first name. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/3 "2011-02-12T02:39:57Z")
Also, Wales is in England now? ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/4 "2011-02-12T03:04:30Z")
Come on. They’re going to ‘make the refund’, what more do you want? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/5 "2011-02-12T03:32:40Z")
Stupidest crooks ever! I mean, really, wouldn’t everybody be able to tell the writing style of their own mother? Or any close relative? Never mind the unlikelihood of the backstory, (I’m in Wales or England and I didn’t let anyone know!) the phrasing even sounds like someone who’s not familiar with the English language. Next to this, the exiled billionaire Nigerian prince scam is sheer genius! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/6 "2011-02-12T03:57:24Z")
No, another one I got a couple of weeks ago was dumber: > [@](#): > > Apologies for having to reach out to you like this, I made a trip early this week to London, UK and had my bags stolen from me with my passport and credit cards in it. The embassy is willing to help by letting me fly without my passport, I just have to pay for a ticket and settle Hotel bills. Unfortunately for me, I can’t have access to funds without my credit card, I’ve made contact with my bank but they need more time to come up with a new one. I was thinking of asking you to lend me some quick funds that I can give back as soon as I get in. I really need to be on the next available flight. I can forward you details on how you can get the funds to me. You can reach me via email or May field hotel’s desk phone, the numbers are \ > I await your response… I also was able to contact the scammers to get the address of their hotel. [Here it is](http://tinyurl.com/4zaoh7x) on Google Street View. Luxurious, isn’t it? 🙂 Oh, and there is no Mayfield hotel in London. It’s actually quite easy to scam them: just say, “sure, I’ll send you the money.” Then drag it out for awhile. The silly thing is that they send these things to everyone in the address book. Now, it certainly would be possible that I send money to my mother if she was in trouble. But when I get an e-mail from someone who I only know socially or from a business connection, my first thought would be “Why is he asking _me_? I barely know him.” A really smart scammer would change your password to keep you out of the e-mail while they use it. The one today knew enough to delete the address book (making it hard to warn people); the first one didn’t even do that. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/7 "2011-02-12T04:05:07Z")
have one email in my real name, that I use for business. I have email in the name of Aruvqan. A while ago i emailed myself telling me that I had been robbed and needed money. [When I checked, the headers were spoofed, it was someone virused that had both of me in their email. From what I heard they sent emails from everybody to everybody claiming muggins.] ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/8 "2011-02-12T10:25:07Z")
> [@](#): > > It was all going well until last night when we got mugged at gun point by 6 men returning from a Grocery store. Everything we had on us were stolen, phone, credit cards and cash, I have already canceled our cards. I’d have been curious as to why six men returning from a grocery store would mug someone… ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/9 "2011-02-12T11:32:18Z")
I work at a private golf club on Long Island and last week the two membership secretaries (one of whom is 85, the other in her 60s) received a similar email from a club member. Our members are rich people who do travel the world so it was entirely plausible. They called the member and were told that his computer got a virus and to ignore the email but I have to say, it really upset these sweet old ladies who thought someone had been mugged at gunpoint. I guess the old fashioned 419 scams don’t work so well anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/10 "2011-02-12T11:37:04Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > I’d have been curious as to why six men returning from a grocery store would mug someone… Well, they had to buy the gun from somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/11 "2011-02-12T13:09:55Z")
> [@Crusoe](#): > > Well, they had to buy the gun from somewhere. Do they sell guns in grocery stores in Wales, England now? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/12 "2011-02-12T14:15:59Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Also, Wales is in England now? Of course it is: the English just let the Welsh pretend that it’s a separate country. Just ask yourself: is the Prince of Wales an Englishman or a Welshman? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/13 "2011-02-12T14:17:04Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Do they sell guns in grocery stores in Wales, England now? This was probably London, Wales, England, so anything goes. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/14 "2011-02-12T14:42:33Z")
> [@Crusoe](#): > > This was probably London, Wales, England, \*\*UK \*\*so anything goes. FTFY I got that identical email a month ago from a young man who died 18 months ago from stomach cancer; it was jarring all around. I bet a lot of his friends and family had that same jarring feeling as I did. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/15 "2011-02-12T15:01:44Z")
We received a very similar e-mail to the OP’s from a “friend” who said she had been ripped off in London. Same basic story but also not to let her husband know, as she was so ashamed to have screwed up this way. That was several years ago, and it went to quite a few people at that time, so this has been around for a while. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/16 "2011-02-12T15:50:24Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Next to this, the exiled billionaire Nigerian prince scam is sheer genius! They found out that the scam originated in Nigeria. The scammers also tried the trick from their Facebook account (same password).\* \*Tip: Don’t use the same password for your e-mail and Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/17 "2011-02-12T21:07:53Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > FTFY > > I got that identical email a month ago from a young man who died 18 months ago from stomach cancer; it was jarring all around. I bet a lot of his friends and family had that same jarring feeling as I did. a.) I’m sorry for what that put you through; b.) it stands to reason that accommodations for his return journey are going to be _beaucoup_ expensive. c.) what does FTFY stand for? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/18 "2011-02-12T21:22:08Z")
> [@Crusoe](#): > > This was probably London, Wales, England, so anything goes. The things Tescos has on sale… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/19 "2011-02-12T21:42:19Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > c.) what does FTFY stand for? > **[LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You](https://lmgtfy.app/?q=FTFY)** > > For all those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than to Google it for themselves. ---
**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 12, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095/20 "2011-02-12T22:06:22Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I also was able to contact the scammers to get the address of their hotel. [Here it is](http://tinyurl.com/4zaoh7x) on Google Street View. Luxurious, isn’t it? 🙂 That’s them! Right there in the picture! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-vacation-ever-scam/571095.md?page=2)