No this isn't about him.
The weirdest thing happened this morning. I received an email from my father--the African one--saying that he was in Nigeria attending a conference and that he was without money or a passport; he said that he had accidentally left them in a cab. (Most regular readers know that my father is Kenyan journalist Philip Ochieng.)
It was the correct email address. The wording of the letter, however, seemed suspiciously generic as if were a broadcast--or a Nigerian email scam. But I thought it was my father so I emailed back—“Okay I will help.” Blessedly, however, I decided to Google the name of the conference.
So when the incipient scammer wrote me back with details I said “will help you, Father, but I need to know that you are who you say you are.” Two simple questions were asked and the answer to one should have rolled off of the tips of my father's fingers.
The response?
Julieet [sic],
why are you asking such question, i want you to use the information of the Hotel manager and send what you said you have for now. i also want you to call me on this number +*************.
Get back to me with the scanned copy of the transfer receipt.
I don’t think so. My father’s email address has been hacked.
So now I have to figure out how to let him know this. Suggestions?
UPDATE: An old friend volunteered to look up the headers and they do resolve to Nigeria. The friend jogged my memory and I remembered that there is still an old email address of my father's lying around so we'll see whether he still has access to it.
I'm not calling there. Arm. Leg. Firstborn.
