Man targeted by e-mail scammers

71-year-old Lyle Quigley from Dungiven was awoke on Tuesday morning by phone calls from friends and family after online hackers gained access to his email account. An email titled "Emergency!!" was sent to each of Mr Quigley's email contacts, including his daughter in England, stating he was stranded in Malaysia and needed 1,500 to get home. Lyle told the Sentinel: "Well I had been talking to my daughter the night before she received the email so she knew I wasn't stuck in Malaysia! But all morning I have had about half a dozen phone calls from people who received this to make sure I was alright.

"I think people knew that it was a scam and someone had hacked in to my account but others should be aware that this can happen and to never send money. "

The poorly spelled and grammatically errored email concocted by the online fraudsters and sent from Lyle's account stated:

"How are you doing today?.I am really sorry to bother you with this email but i just want you to know what i am facing right now. I am sorry that i didn't inform you about my travelling to Malaysia for a Seminar,i am presently in Malaysia now but unfortunately for me i lost my wallet which contains my money and other valuable things in a taxi.

"I can easily access the internet for now but i do not have access to phone.I want you to assist me urgently with a loan of 1,500 to sort-out my hotel bills and to get myself back home.

"I have spoken to the embassy here but they are not responding to the matter effectively,i promise i will pay you back as soon as i return.Kindly let me know if you can be of help so that i can send you the details you will use to send the money to me here in Malaysia."

The devious tricksters even signed off the email as 'Lyle', who is now in the process of changing the password on his account in the hope to block the con artists. Earlier this month a Derry community worker was also targeted in a similar scam in which her contacts were asked to send emergency cash.