from Frank C

My wife and I just got the email below from our long time friend in Canada. My wife responded to this since she checked the email and it was real. Then she got another one asking for help getting a gift card for a friend in the hospital…

Two things raised red flags for us:

1) they wanted a gift card and

2) they wanted it now.

So, we called our friend and found out she did not send them. So, it seems someone (or something: AI) hacked her email and was sending emails on her behalf asking for money from all her contacts!!

So, this is a new hack actually sending emails from your friends email. I have been getting fake emails from Bobbie for several years but clicking on the email it was sent from showed it was not her. Now they are actually using the email address to send!!

Frank
Begin forwarded message:

From: xxxxx@shaw.ca>
Date: February 6, 2026 at 4:42:39 PM MST
Subject: catch up,,,
Hope you are doing well ?
I need a little help from you if you are not busy please.
Thanks
Xxxxxxxxxx