Priest hackers ask his sister for money

Correspondence between a scammed priest’s sister and the people who stole his identity has revealed some insight into the way hackers operate.

St Julian’s parish priest Fr Claude Portelli, 36, last week downloaded a smartphone application which denied him access tohis Yahoo account including some 3,000 confidential e-mails.

When he “updated” the Yahoo app on his Android smartphone, an e-mail was sent out to all his contacts claiming he had been robbed at gunpoint in Spain, leaving him in need of €2,950 to pay hotel bills.

Signed “Fr Claude”, the e-mail was credible enough to fool many of his friends who called him to see how they could help.

But as he advised people not to make contact through his old Yahoo account address, his sister kept e-mailing in the hope of tracing the hackers, while keeping Malta’s cyber crime unit informed each step of the way.

Although Fr Portelli’s brother used software to track the IP address to Nigeria, the hackers asked the priest’s sister to wire the money via Western Union to an address in Madrid.

The first e-mail sent by Clarissa Portelli simply asked: “How can I help?” Within a few hours, the hackers showed gratitude for her concern and gave details about the way she could send the money.

“I have made inquiry on how you can send me the money and I was told that via Western Union is the easiest and fastest way to wire money.”

She was then given the address ‘Po Pintor Rosales, 2 28008 Madrid, Spain’.

“Please, I am waiting for you(r) fast response because I am so worried. Thank you, Fr Claude,” the hacker wrote unaware he was talking to the victim’s sister.

Ms Portelli sent another e-mail to the hackers, this time saying the money did not go through and asking if he was still in Spain. The hacker replied, assuring her he was still in Spain and would repay her once he gets home.

The police are still investigating.