Burbank, CA – Recent Email Scam Hits Jewish Clergy

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    Burbank, CA – Rabbi Mark Sobel was awakened Wednesday morning by calls from friends and relatives all over the country.

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    He was the latest victim of a scam. All of his e-mail contacts received the following message:

    I’m writing this with tears in my eyes,my family and I came down here to London, United Kingdom for a short vacation. unfortunately,we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed,all cash and credit card were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.

    We’ve been to the Embassy and the Police here but they’re not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in few hours from now but we’re having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won’t let us leave until we settle the bills. Well I really need your financial assistance..Please, Let me know if you can help us out?

    Am freaked out at the moment!!

    -Mark

    None of this is true. Sobel, of Temple Beth Emet in Burbank, was at his home in the West Valley.

    But since he had an extensive number of contacts, many of the people who know him might have thought he was on vacation.

    In fact, he told NBCLA that one member of his congregation who lives in San Diego actually called him from the bank — she was about to wire “him” money.

    Another actually sent the money, but was able to stop the Western Union transaction before it went through.

    Sobel was not able to send a legitimate e-mail to his contact list, since whoever sent out the scam also wiped out his contacts.

    Sobel reported the scam to both the police and the FBI. His son traced e-mails that had been sent to him and they believe they know where this latest version of the scam made have originated.

    “We live in a time, as clergy, when we want to reach out and help people. But I find this doubly onerous,” Sobel said.


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    20 Comments
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    Glassman
    Glassman
    13 years ago

    I received this from a different Rabbi-a few months ago

    13 years ago

    old news this exact email is months old I have received a few… they use many diff names!

    memyself
    memyself
    13 years ago

    there was an article in the mishpacha magazine about this recently.

    bigwheeel
    bigwheeel
    13 years ago

    This scam is (unfortunately) alive and kicking. About a week ago I received a similar e-mail (supposedly) from my attorney, who has an office in Manhattan. With the following; “I went to Nigeria for vacation. Thieves broke into the hotel room and stole all the passports, credit cards and airline tickets. Please send $2,000 or $3,000. When I get back I’ll return the money to you, I promise”. When I first saw the e-mail I was surprised. I finished all transactions with his office Two Years ago. When I read the content I was shocked. But the bad and broken English gave it away. I didn’t believe the sob story in the e-mail for a minute. An attorney with an office in a prestigious building on 42nd Str. should beg me for $3,000. Unfortunately, there are some naive (and / or) greedy people who fall for such scams.

    sealer
    sealer
    13 years ago

    I got the same thing last week about a cousin of mine who lives in Israel. My brother decided to call their house first to find her home. I guess people are quick to help and sent them sensitive information.

    Walter_Sobchak
    Walter_Sobchak
    13 years ago

    This same thing just happened to my mother. She got calls from out of the woodwork and had no idea what was going on. It was very embarrassing to her. Fortunately none of her contacts has any money so the thief did not get away with any loot. They just keep getting more and more clever.

    13 years ago

    I also received the same email at work about an emloyee working with us. we called the employee to see if this is a true story and she said she never left this country and she is allright.it seems they hacked into her personal account and took all her contacts. dont send your money till you verify the facts..

    Tzi_Bar_David
    Tzi_Bar_David
    13 years ago

    That e-mail is coming in from all over the past week. Hard to believe anyone took it seriously.

    Gefilte Fish
    Gefilte Fish
    13 years ago

    Just go over to Mr. Bartowski in burbank he’ll help you out with all your computer issues, including nun-chucks.

    DRSLZ
    DRSLZ
    13 years ago

    This email has popped up for various people. If you have any doubt about the veracity of an ’emergency’ email, you can do as I did: email the ‘sender’ and ask to speak with him by phone (you’ll get a reply how this is impossible, blah blah blah) or ask him a question that only the real person would know the answer to, such as: what is the name of your dog? (even if he doesnt have a dog, such a question alone might work).

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    You should post the names of any Yid dumb enough to send money to such scam emails. I’d like to sell him/her a bridge in the Negev.

    ajewishwoman
    ajewishwoman
    13 years ago

    There was an excellent article by Debbie Shapiro about this recently in Hamodia Magazine, with pointers for protecting your computer.

    Deraiydim
    Deraiydim
    13 years ago

    We just had a sucha email that my Shvigir is stuck in China and we should send money. Burich Hashem nobody sent the money but laiyda it too was a scam.

    Anon Ibid Opcit
    Anon Ibid Opcit
    13 years ago

    Pretty typical. The Jewish wrinkle is a new one.

    The success of this sort of scam is the reason you’re getting fewer emails asking you to send money to Nigeria to get a dead dictator’s fortune out of the country.

    Matzoslocal101
    Matzoslocal101
    13 years ago

    #13 ,
    “but laiyda it too was a scam”

    Laiyda that they were trying to steal your money or Laiyda that his shviger wasn’t really stuck in China?

    Sociologist
    Sociologist
    13 years ago

    THis has been going on for years. I received a similar e-mail from a business acquaintance. It did not sound plausible because there are people nearer and dearer than me to help him out. I deleted the e-mail and a few hours later he circulated an apology.

    kollelfaker
    kollelfaker
    13 years ago

    #18 you it was phoney?

    Jimmy37
    Jimmy37
    13 years ago

    People don’t learn. Don’t wire money to foreign countries.