A NASTY SCAM

  Just recovering from a shock on the Internet this AM.  Had an Email purporting to come from a trade friend saying she had been mugged on holiday, all credit cards, cash, gone, hotel not willing to let her leave Manila for pre-booked flight home until bill settled, and asking for help.   Telephoned her at home to check up, found her absolutely distraught saying it was all a scam and she fears she has lost thousands of her contact names and addresses.  As she works for an Indian Charity, this is an appalling affair for her and if a virus has been spread into their sites as well, even worse will follow.   So I beg you to be on guard for this clever and wicked kind of robbery, especially as my daughter has today told me of an exactly similar scam suffered by a friend of hers, with the same sort of story.  Presumably the hacker has now contacted all names on the computers.  Oh dear!