'Famous artist' hacker extorts girl in Dubai

A hacker in Europe posing as a famous Arab artist extorted $1,000 from a presumed female fan visiting Dubai and was about to steal more before she informed police.
 
The girl told police she could hardly believe her eyes when she received a message in her e-mail from the “famous artist” asking her to send him $1,000 immediately on the grounds he lost all his personal items while on a visit to a European country.
 
To give credence to his story, the hacker also sent a picture to the girl showing the “famous artist” shopping in that country.
 
“She hurried to the nearest exchange shop and sent him the money…next week, she was surprised to see another message from that hacker asking her for more…only then she suspected him and went to the police,” said Major-General Khalil Al Mansouri, assistant police chief for criminal investigation.
 
He said the e-mails sent by the hacker to the girl were “cross border” messages and originated from Europe, adding that the hacker selected his victim through Facebook.
 
Mansouri said the hacker posed as a “famous artist” from that girl’s home country but he did not make clear if the impostor posed as a singer or actor.

[Image used for illustrative purpose only via Shutterstock]

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