Hacked, scammed within two-week period

Every once in a while I think I've seen it all. Then something new happens.

Last week it was a letter (supposedly) from friend Gar Pilliar of Quincy. He was in big trouble and needed my help.

The email said: "This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort. I came down here to Bilbao, Spain with my family for a short vacation but unfortunately, we were mugged and robbed at the park of the hotel where we stayed. All cash, credit cards and cell phones were stolen off us but we still have our lives and passports."

The message, which arrived at 3:33 a.m., went on. Gar needed $2,450 to get a flight out of town. He asked for a loan he'd pay immediately upon his return.

I was concerned, of course, and started to consider how I'd go about helping Gar. Then I remembered my email account had been hacked a week earlier and was used to send weight-loss advertisements to friends. One of the fat ones wrote back with a bit of anger. I had to explain I'd been hacked, and I had to change my password.

So I started to read Gar's message again. It became clear almost immediately he'd been hacked. No American I know would write: "With great depression due to my state of discomfort." That was someone writing in Spanish and then translating literally to English.

And Americans don't say the park of the hotel. They might say hotel park but more likely something like: The hotel gardens.

Just to be sure I wasn't letting my friend down, I called Gar as I was driving to the Crescent Bar area. My name must have appeared on his caller ID.

"Hi, Ted, how ya doing?" he said in a most cheerful voice.

Fine, I answered. How 'bout you?

"I'm great."

Where are you?

"Home."

Well, I just got an email from you saying your stuck in Spain and need $2,450 to get home.

"No, I'm home. You can just send the money here."

Made me laugh. I knew Gar was perfectly fine and that he'd been hacked by someone who really wasn't good at English phrases written in Spanish and translated back to English.

I hope the hackers get caught and sent to night school while in jail. They're an embarrassment even to their criminal profession.