BROOKSVILLE — While scrolling through e-mails on his BlackBerry over the weekend, state Rep. Rob Schenck came across one in particular that caught his eye. And not just because of the mangled syntax.
“I felt very sorry and bad for you,” read the e-mail, “that your life is going to end like this if you don’t comply, I was paid to eliminate you and I have to do it within 10 days. … I might just spare your life, $8,000 is all you need to spend.”
Schenck managed to shake off the online threat long enough to report the e-mail to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. He was one of at least four Hernando residents who received the same message in recent days. “When you read something that disturbing, for a moment you do get concerned,” Schenck said Wednesday. “No matter whether it’s fake or not, if someone talks about killing your family, it’s unsettling.” On Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office called the e-mails part of an online scam and warned residents against sending money to anyone. Authorities said people who receive the e-mails should immediately delete them.
The Sheriff’s Office urges anyone who has sent money in response to the e-mail to file a report with the agency.
“We want to let the public know that you have to be a willing victim to fall victim,” said Sgt. Donna Black, a spokeswoman with the Sheriff’s Office. “This is just a new scare tactic to get money out of people.”
Oh no! What if my spam filter catches it first……I’m doomed!
