‘Hitman’ targets software expert by email (From York Press)
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email»
‘Hitman’ targets software expert by email
7:52am Thursday 26th August 2010 in News
Charles Anderson
A SOFTWARE engineer has been told a $200,000 contract has been taken out on his life and a Yemeni assassin is now gunning for him.
Charles Anderson, of Haxby, received a scam email, allegedly from a Yemeni man calling himself Gladlord Mohammed, who said he was hired along with his team of killers to “terminate” Mr Anderson.
The $200,000 price of the contract was supposedly being paid by someone whom Mr Anderson thought was a friend.
But after claiming to have followed Mr Anderson for a week and a half, the gun-for-hire emailed Mr Anderson again to tell him he was innocent of the undisclosed charges.
Mr Mohammed then offered the 51-year-old married man the chance to avoid assassination by paying $50,000 into the supposed assassin’s bank account.
After a downpayment, the Middle Eastern hitman said he would provide details of the “friend” who took the contract out on Mr Anderson so he could be prosecuted.
But Mr Mohammed warned Mr Anderson: “Do not contact the police or FBI or try to send a copy of this to them, because if you do I will know, and might be pushed to do what I have being paid to do, beside, this is the first time I turned out to be a betrayer in my job. I have your picture with me and other vital information. I was hired with my team from Yemen Arab Republic down here. So you don’t need to ask any question. Deal/no deal?”
Mr Anderson, who immediately recognised the email as a scam, initially reported the demand for cash to technology news website The Register.
He said if the alleged hitman had indeed been shadowing him then he would have also have followed him on a recent trip to Wales.
Mr Anderson wrote on his blog: “I hope he enjoyed Caernarfon Castle, and had better luck at finding a restaurant in Bangor than we did.”
But he told The Press that although he realised it was a joke he thought he should publicise the scam in case other people received it and believed it.
A spokeswoman for City of York Council said people should be wary of emails which include requests for personal financial details.
She said anyone with concerns about emails they receive should phone Consumer Direct on 085 4040506.
Comments(13)
hesmanes
says...
8:26am Thu 26 Aug 10
Theendoftheworld
says...
9:37am Thu 26 Aug 10
spiritofyork
says...
10:30am Thu 26 Aug 10
kennydebs
says...
10:55am Thu 26 Aug 10
northernlight62
says...
12:14pm Thu 26 Aug 10
hesmanes wrote:i cant stop laughing hahaha iam rolling on the floor! but really i get these emails daily so do another 10000000000 people just scams! haha william hauge :-P
Wouldn't be hard for a sniper to pick off his head would it.......look at the size of the thing!
moleculeman
says...
2:12pm Thu 26 Aug 10
Please try and keep up, Press.
Silver
says...
4:21pm Thu 26 Aug 10
spiritofyork wrote:My uncle from Somalia had business deals with you and spoke favourably of you. Whilst I'm struggling to get out my war ridden palace with my personal wealth, do you mind if I place my wealth into your bank account?
I am honourable get-rid-off-assassin man from Nigeria. I have a unique opportunity to help you out due to inheritance from late father. Please forward bank details and arrange for transfer of €200,000 to begin process of get-rid-of-assasin.
Ben Guela
says...
5:34pm Thu 26 Aug 10
redr wrote:Do you mean "YEMENI" assassin?
Bloody Yemenite assassins you just can’t move for em.
sheps lad
says...
6:21pm Thu 26 Aug 10
Ben Guela wrote:Is that really the best that you can do??
redr wrote:Do you mean "YEMENI" assassin?
Bloody Yemenite assassins you just can’t move for em.
petethefeet
says...
7:57pm Thu 26 Aug 10
redr
says...
9:08pm Thu 26 Aug 10
petethefeet wrote:I rang him and asked where mine was. Apparantly I just had to send him another 5k admin fee. Silly me worried over nothing should get it by the weekend.
I'm still waiting for that 7000000000000 dollars promised by Mr Umboto from Bogota!
King Edward
says...
11:51pm Thu 26 Aug 10
redr says...
8:20am Thu 26 Aug 10