Offwego:Where is Ponheary now?
Sep 24th, 2008, 02:21 PM
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Offwego:Where is Ponheary now?
I just received a very disturbing email from Ponheary. Has anyone else received this? Is this for real or has someone compromised Pon's email?
Here is a part of the email I received
"How's work on your end? This has had to come in a hurry and it has left me in a devastating state. These people won't even allow people write in native dialects as they have configured the systems here to display messages in English only. I am in some terrible situation and I'm really going to need your urgent help. Yesterday, unannounced, I came to visit a new researchers' complex in London, Imperial College London, Gallery Section, (South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ), England. Well we actually got robbed in the Hotel I booked in and they made away with my wallet (which included my cash, diaries and credit cards). My cellphones were not brought along since I did not get to roam them before coming over. The phone cables have been burnt including internet connection cables and the Hotel's database has been compromised as well. So all I can do now is pay cash and get out of here quickly. I do not want to make a scene of this which is why I did not call the office or my house, this is embarassing enough. Please I want you to lend me a sum of £1,330, just to clear my Hotel bills and get the next plane home. The Consulate only cleared me of my travelling documents and ticketing since I came in as a tourist and not on official purpose. I shall have your money reimbursed immediately on my return. I'll be waiting on you at the Hotel lobby for your mail.
Looking forward to positive response.
BRegards,
Pon."
Is this is for real? Sounds too fishy to me but I am hoping its not for real.
I hope no one is using Ponheary's name as a scam but it may be so. Beware
Hope all is ok Lori
Aloha!
Here is a part of the email I received
"How's work on your end? This has had to come in a hurry and it has left me in a devastating state. These people won't even allow people write in native dialects as they have configured the systems here to display messages in English only. I am in some terrible situation and I'm really going to need your urgent help. Yesterday, unannounced, I came to visit a new researchers' complex in London, Imperial College London, Gallery Section, (South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ), England. Well we actually got robbed in the Hotel I booked in and they made away with my wallet (which included my cash, diaries and credit cards). My cellphones were not brought along since I did not get to roam them before coming over. The phone cables have been burnt including internet connection cables and the Hotel's database has been compromised as well. So all I can do now is pay cash and get out of here quickly. I do not want to make a scene of this which is why I did not call the office or my house, this is embarassing enough. Please I want you to lend me a sum of £1,330, just to clear my Hotel bills and get the next plane home. The Consulate only cleared me of my travelling documents and ticketing since I came in as a tourist and not on official purpose. I shall have your money reimbursed immediately on my return. I'll be waiting on you at the Hotel lobby for your mail.
Looking forward to positive response.
BRegards,
Pon."
Is this is for real? Sounds too fishy to me but I am hoping its not for real.
I hope no one is using Ponheary's name as a scam but it may be so. Beware
Hope all is ok Lori
Aloha!
Sep 24th, 2008, 02:36 PM
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A friend (who toured with Ponheary last summer) just received the same email. It is reminiscent of the Nigerian bank account scams. Looks as if someone has hacked into her email, since it is unlikely she is in a London hotel with burned phone cables.
Sep 24th, 2008, 02:48 PM
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Glad you emailed Lori she will hopefully be the best bet at sorting this out. The more I read the message the more wierd it is. Since when is Ponheary worried about communicating in English & "the hotel data base has been compromised"???? Very strange
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Sep 24th, 2008, 04:48 PM
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Yep, I got it too and emailed Lori. Poor girl is going to be inundated. ;-)
I'm glad we all saw it for the scam it obviously is.
I feel bad for Ponheary because knowing her, I am sure she will be mortified and will probably feel she needs to change her email address.
I'm glad we all saw it for the scam it obviously is.
I feel bad for Ponheary because knowing her, I am sure she will be mortified and will probably feel she needs to change her email address.
Sep 24th, 2008, 05:00 PM
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Good morning everyone.
Well someone has obviously hijacked her email and yes, she's mortified.
Not sure what to do at this point; changing her email address would be a calamity indeed.....will just wait and see if it happens again.
Meanwhile, we'll be spending the morning answering all these emails!
BTW it would be pretty hard for a Cambodian national to "arrive in London unannounced! Ha.
Well someone has obviously hijacked her email and yes, she's mortified.
Not sure what to do at this point; changing her email address would be a calamity indeed.....will just wait and see if it happens again.
Meanwhile, we'll be spending the morning answering all these emails!
BTW it would be pretty hard for a Cambodian national to "arrive in London unannounced! Ha.
Sep 24th, 2008, 05:39 PM
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I got one too. Didn't sound remotely like the sort of thing Ponheary would send out.
Why would it be so embarrassing to contact your own house etc but instead contact everyone in your email address book? Only thing is its not all that clear how they intend to get the money anyone sends. They must have complete access to the email account at the moment.
Hope it can get sorted out for Ponheary quickly and at least she can feel safe in knowing that anyone knowing her would be very wary of this - just not something she would do - she might ask help for someone else but I doubt ever for herself!
Why would it be so embarrassing to contact your own house etc but instead contact everyone in your email address book? Only thing is its not all that clear how they intend to get the money anyone sends. They must have complete access to the email account at the moment.
Hope it can get sorted out for Ponheary quickly and at least she can feel safe in knowing that anyone knowing her would be very wary of this - just not something she would do - she might ask help for someone else but I doubt ever for herself!
Sep 24th, 2008, 06:29 PM
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Well now we've got to the bottom of what happened. Yesterday she replied to an email from someone posing as Yahoo, asking for her password and SHE GAVE IT TO THEM.
Bless her, she didn't know better. She sure does now. This person has changed her password now.
Of course this means she can't get into her contacts, her bookings, anything. It's a true nightmare.
Anyone who is in the process of trying to book with her RIGHT NOW, best to email me
girlseesworldATyahooDOTcom
I've contacted Yahoo and meanwhile I'm setting her up a new address, trying to rebuild her contact list from the ones I also have....
She's downstairs right now crying her eyes out, just sick with herself.
I guess once yahoo emails me to tell me there's nothing they can do, I will post a new topic and state her new email address.
Bless her, she didn't know better. She sure does now. This person has changed her password now.
Of course this means she can't get into her contacts, her bookings, anything. It's a true nightmare.
Anyone who is in the process of trying to book with her RIGHT NOW, best to email me
girlseesworldATyahooDOTcom
I've contacted Yahoo and meanwhile I'm setting her up a new address, trying to rebuild her contact list from the ones I also have....
She's downstairs right now crying her eyes out, just sick with herself.
I guess once yahoo emails me to tell me there's nothing they can do, I will post a new topic and state her new email address.
Sep 24th, 2008, 06:41 PM
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Oh my goodness it is a hard lesson to learn. Maybe there is an email wizz here who may have a clue of she can somehow get her email addresses from somewhere???? I don't suppose she has any print outs of emails from people booking with her that have their email on the print out? I was going to send her an email to say Hi & hope she is OK but guess I better wait until she has a new address. You are there at the right time Lori I am sure she is counting her blessings that you are helping. I read the email to my husband Bob & he said there is no way that sounds like Ponheary. Good Luck.
Sep 24th, 2008, 06:56 PM
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Well the good news is that I have the email addresses of all her contacts that had anything to do with the Foundation, so that's a lot of them.
She's very concerned about the people who were in the middle of booking with her, and of course worried about missives such as these going out to her address book and them thinking it's HER.
Still waiting to hear from yahoo. I picked a bad time to quit drinking.
She's very concerned about the people who were in the middle of booking with her, and of course worried about missives such as these going out to her address book and them thinking it's HER.
Still waiting to hear from yahoo. I picked a bad time to quit drinking.
Sep 24th, 2008, 09:20 PM
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Oh, that's just horrible. She's had that email address forever!
I do hope at the very least you can get Yahoo to cancel the account so they can't keep using it.
Please tell her we're all thinking of her and do let us know what her new email address is.
I'm wondering if anyone replied to this email and if so, what the response was from the a$$ who stole her address. Also wondering if it's possible for Yahoo to track them down using the IP address they are sending the emails from? Hmmmm...
I do hope at the very least you can get Yahoo to cancel the account so they can't keep using it.
Please tell her we're all thinking of her and do let us know what her new email address is.
I'm wondering if anyone replied to this email and if so, what the response was from the a$$ who stole her address. Also wondering if it's possible for Yahoo to track them down using the IP address they are sending the emails from? Hmmmm...
Sep 24th, 2008, 11:33 PM
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I'm glad to see we fodorites and fans of Ponheary are a savvy lot.
If it's any consolation at all please let Ponheary know that of the 40 new e-mails I received today that "hers" was the first I opened.
Yes, I also recognized it as a scam right off the bat.
But if she indeed needed help I would be happy to help her, as I know many of us would.
Sadly she fell victim to a creepy internet scammer and feels aweful about it. But I hope that at the same time she realizes that she is very well loved and respected.
She has a great group of concerned friends and clients past, present and future who would gladly lend her support if she needed it.
Hang in there Ponheary, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. But now you have another lesson to teach others and your sad experience can help them to not fall victim to such a lousy trick.
If it's any consolation at all please let Ponheary know that of the 40 new e-mails I received today that "hers" was the first I opened.
Yes, I also recognized it as a scam right off the bat.
But if she indeed needed help I would be happy to help her, as I know many of us would.
Sadly she fell victim to a creepy internet scammer and feels aweful about it. But I hope that at the same time she realizes that she is very well loved and respected.
She has a great group of concerned friends and clients past, present and future who would gladly lend her support if she needed it.
Hang in there Ponheary, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. But now you have another lesson to teach others and your sad experience can help them to not fall victim to such a lousy trick.
Sep 24th, 2008, 11:41 PM
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I decided to send a reply...
"Whoever you are you have victimized one of the most honest, decent, hard working and caring people I have ever met.
I hope your entire body erupts into oozing sores and that blister and burn from now to the end of eternity.
Even that would not be fair punishment for this stunt of yours, but it would certainly make Pon heary's friends feel better."
"Whoever you are you have victimized one of the most honest, decent, hard working and caring people I have ever met.
I hope your entire body erupts into oozing sores and that blister and burn from now to the end of eternity.
Even that would not be fair punishment for this stunt of yours, but it would certainly make Pon heary's friends feel better."
Sep 25th, 2008, 04:20 AM
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cjbryant-Fabulous response!
I got an email this morning from someone who is scheduled to tour with her in a few weeks and was concered because he got one of those emails too. Lori, I passed along your email address.
I got an email this morning from someone who is scheduled to tour with her in a few weeks and was concered because he got one of those emails too. Lori, I passed along your email address.
Sep 25th, 2008, 05:20 AM
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Thanks everyone for helping on this.I will post a new thread with her new contact information for anyone trying to find her. Thankfully most of her referrals come from here and TA, so maybe those who "drop through the cracks" can be found again.
I showed Ponheary this thread (she never reads Fodors) and she CRIED saying to me "I don't understand how they can be so KIND". Then she had to go upstairs and lay down.
She is so upset and angry with herself.
I am also upset and angry, but with Yahoo for their failure to respond. Waiting about 6 hours between their emails; really frustrating.
I replied to the "phisher" and said "Oh Ponheary I'm so sorry to hear of your misfortune! How can I help?" In 2 minutes, I got exact account information of how to wire the money via western union. I've sent all this to Yahoo, but wonder if anything will come of it.
Some lessons come hard.
I showed Ponheary this thread (she never reads Fodors) and she CRIED saying to me "I don't understand how they can be so KIND". Then she had to go upstairs and lay down.
She is so upset and angry with herself.
I am also upset and angry, but with Yahoo for their failure to respond. Waiting about 6 hours between their emails; really frustrating.
I replied to the "phisher" and said "Oh Ponheary I'm so sorry to hear of your misfortune! How can I help?" In 2 minutes, I got exact account information of how to wire the money via western union. I've sent all this to Yahoo, but wonder if anything will come of it.
Some lessons come hard.
