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Warning: HOAX E15 000 EMAIL CIRCULATING

23/04/2009 00:00:00 GIA ARMSTRONG

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MBABANE - Internet user are warned of an email conman pretending to be the national director of the Swaziland Epilepsy Organisation, Mbusomuni Eric Mahlalela, to swindle them of E15 000.

There have been widely circulating emails where this conmen pretends to be Mahlalela and claims that he is stranded in the Philippines, as he was robbed of all his money and passport. The scammer then goes on to ask for US$ 1 500 (about E15 000) so that he can make arrangements to return home.

The message was sent to a list of individuals, organisations and businesses. A shocked Mahlalela yesterday disclosed that an unknown individual had hacked into his private yahoo email account in order to send bogus messages to his contacts asking for money.

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Mahlalela said he could not imagine who was responsible for this. He said he could no longer log into his email account, in order to cancel it, as his password had been changed by the scammer. He is outraged and thinks that the person responsible may be “someone wanting to jeopardise the organisation.”

Mahlalela used this email account for work related emails in the past, but he now urges his business associates not to write or respond to emails sent from this account. Mahlalela would like to notify the public that the new email address being used by the Swaziland Epilepsy Organisation is admin@epilepsy.org.sz.

In a press release issued by the organisation, they apologise to anyone who may have been affected by this scam.
The matter has been handed over to the police, and if anyone has any information pertaining to this investigation, they are urged to contact the Police PRO, Vusi Masuku, at 6062312.