Several Watershed Post readers wrote today to tell us that they've been getting urgent emails from someone purporting to be Shandaken town supervisor Rob Stanley. We've gotten a few ourselves.
The good news: Stanley isn't stranded in the Philippines and in need of $1,850 to get back home to Pine Hill. The bad news: Someone has hacked into his email account and is sending pleas for money in all directions.
Tip for Shandaken residents: If you get a bizarre email from Stanley's account, don't send money. And don't do what Watershed Post publisher Julia Reischel did and call the number in the email signature. It goes not to the town hall, but to the private landline of a local woman who has been deluged with calls from people accusing her of hacking into Stanley's account. Eventually, she told Julia, she got so fed up with calls from Stanley's constituents that she drove to the Shandaken police station to declare her innocence.
Below: The text of a message sent from [email protected].
This message is coming to you with great depression due to my state of discomfort. I came down here to Manila, Philippines 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 luckily for us we still have our lives and passports.
We've been to the embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in less than 12hrs from now but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills about $1,850. Can you help us out? Get back to me immediately to let you know the easiest way to get the fund to us.
We are depressed at the moment.
Thank you.
Robert A. Stanley
Supervisor, Town of ShandakenShandaken Town HallPO Box 134Shandaken, NY 12480
(Phone number omitted to spare a blameless Shandakenite any further harassment.)
