Simply unbelievable! Hackers are now targetting email accounts of prelates! They are now
Prelate's email hacked! (link)
In an email sent to CBCPNews early this morning, the Archdiocesan Secretariat stated, “if you receive an email from Kenya, Africa , kindly disregard it. The person who sent it has corrupted the email address of the archbishop hence the message is not true.”
The scam letter narrated that Capalla went for a missionary program in Nigeria, Sweden and Kenya.
It also said that while the archbishop was on his way to the hotel in Nigeria where he stayed he was robbed and he badly needed $ 2,500 to sort-out hotel bills and to go home in the Philippines.
The content of the fraud email follows: [Take note of this. This is important.]
“Hello, How are you doing? I am sorry I didn't inform you about my traveling for a Missionary program. It is currently held in Nigeria, Sweden and Kenya. I am presently in Nigeria. It has been a very sad and bad moment for me because I got robbed on my way to the hotel where I lodged.
My ID, Credit card, cash and other valuables I have with me got stolen, I contacted the embassy here to help me out but it will take some time to get back to me. I urgently need your financial assistance. The total sum of money that I would need would be $2,500 to sort-out my hotel bills and get myself back home.
I will appreciate your help, I promise I will pay you back upon my return, Let me know if you can assist me so that I can send you the details to use when sending the money through western union. Peace & Joy. Hope to hear from you soon. God bless. Archbishop Capalla”
The Archdiocesan Secretariat stated that they are now making some adjustments and amendments to email address of Archbishop Capalla.
Last week, the office of Pampanga Auxiliary bishop Roberto Mallari informed CBCPNews that his email address has also been hacked by one who is now soliciting money for hotel bills in London.
Alarmed by the extent the hoax has been circulated online, Mallari sent this message to his email contacts: "I was informed by friends that somebody hacked my e-mail address, saying that I am in a sorry state and stranded in London; that I was robbed and lost all my money and credit cards and also my phones etc.; that I am asking a sum of 1,430 pounds to clear my hotel bills and my ticket back home and that I am asking you to send it through Western Union Money Transfer. All of these is a hoax and not true. I am at present in the Philippines and I am doing well. I will be changing my E-mail address in a day or two and I will be forwarding it to you.”
Early last year, Surigao Bishop Antonieto Cabajog, got a call from a friend counter-checking an email allegedly sent by him asking donations for a church project. The bishop denied the solicitation and discovered that his email has also been hacked. (Mark S. Ventura)
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My Lord! Those are three bishops! I might have blogged Archbishop Capalla before BUT I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO HIM!
PASS THE WORD brothers and sisters! These predators would capitalize on your generosity to support the needs of our priests!
This might not be an isolated case for Pinoy bishops. Any bishop or priest for that matter is an easy target! PASS THE WORD!
Wow, not nice. Personally, I quite like the method used by a certain bank I use: first, login number; second, personal information; third, password. Thus through three steps the information is secured. I'm personally a little surprised that the Bishops didn't have better web security. Of course, all it took is probably just somebody sitting near the Bishop when he logged into his email account. All it takes is looking sideways out of your eyes. Also that Western Union Money Transfer caught my eyes because on craigslist.org it says anybody requesting that is 100% a scammer. But I guess this can prove as a lesson for us all. I hope there wasn't much loss because of this incident.
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