An email scam which sends a fake call for help to all your contacts has struck a North Wootton resident.
The virus emails every person on your contact list telling them that you are abroad and have had your passport and money stolen.
Should friends reply they receive a distraught message asking them to send money to a Western Union branch near Madrid. The original person who has been hacked has no way of warning their friends as the virus wipes all the contacts from their e-mail account.
Fiona Kirton was hit by the scam. Three of her friends were about to send 500 euros each to the account.
It was only because the email was signed Fiona Kirton instead of her usual Fi that they became suspicious.
Unfortunately someone she had not spoken to for a while was duped and sent £1,200 to the conmen.
Fiona is understandably upset that someone has lost money to this scam.
She said: “They are very clever and organised. You have your hands tied behind your back.
“You can’t warn anybody because they’ve wiped your contact.”
The swindlers access Facebook accounts and change e-mail addresses their so that anyone trying to make contact that way will only come through to them.
Fiona has struggled to get her contacts restored and to warn as many people as she can.
Anyone who has fallen victim to the hack should contact www.actionfraud.police.uk for advice.