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Ex-Mayor Hopes Others Will Learn From Email Scam

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Dec 19, 2009 6:14 pm US/Mountain

Ex-Mayor Hopes Others Will Learn From Email Scam

Reporting
Valerie Castro
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) ― A former mayor of Longmont said she was the victim of an e-mail scam. She said someone hacked into her account and used her address list to try and make money. She's hoping others can learn from her experience.

Leona Stoecker estimated that she received more than 70 phone calls all from people worried about her. They said they had received an e-mail that said she was in trouble and that she needed money. Stoecker never wrote the e-mail.

After a flood of phone calls, Stoecker put a new message on her voicemail that said, "This is Leona, no I'm not in England, and yes the e-mail you received is a scam."

On Saturday a computer hacker sent an e-mail to everyone in Stoecker's address book with a message that she was in trouble.

"It stated that I was in the UK and that I had lost my passport, my wallet had been stolen, all of these," Stoecker said.

The former Longmont mayor said as soon as the e-mail hit, the hundreds of contacts she has in her address book, the phone started ringing.

"I received a call from a friend and she said, 'Leona, I got this strange e-mail,'" Stoecker said.

At first glance, the e-mail seemed legitimate and personalized. Stoecker said some people were ready to do her the favor.

"You know they were ready to send money and the main thing that concerns me is how easily people are persuaded," said Stoecker.

Stoecker said the experience has been nothing short of a nightmare, but something good did come out of it.

"I had a wonderful time talking to people who were concerned and it gave me an opportunity just to greet them," Stoecker said.

Stoecker said she doesn't know how her account was hacked, but she wants to remind everyone to never open an e-mail if you don't recognize who it's from and never send any money.

Stoecker said a friend traced this particular scam back to Nigeria.

(© MMX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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