PD Asking Residents to be on Alert for E-mail Scam

The Madison Police Department has issued a crime alert regarding an e-mail scam where the hacker is pretending to be the person who owns the e-mail address.

The report says the culprit will hack into a computer and send e-mails from the hacked person's e-mail address, pretending to be that person and pleading with people on his or her contacts list for help.

The e-mails say the hacked person is overseas on a trip and has been mugged or robbed, and that his or her cash, credit cards and cell phones were stolen.

The e-mails also say that the hacked person still has his or her passport and has some injuries, but is OK. They also say that police overseas are not helping, and the hotel manager won't let the person leave until the bill is settled.

The e-mails then ask people who they have been sent to for a quick loan via Western Union and that the hacked person will pay the friend/sender back as soon as he or she gets home.

The e-mails then thank the receiver while pretending to be the hacked person through their correct e-mail address and name.

The e-mails end by advising the receiver that the hacked person is using the public library and has accesses to nothing else at the moment.

Police are asking anyone who has received this type of e-mail or is a victim of this type of scam to contact Detective Lt. Jerry Mantone at 973-593-3012.