Scammed?

I may have been played successfully for the sap today. I got a Facebook chat message from a good friend who announced that he was in deep shit. He was in a foreign country, the one my real friend is supposed to be this week.

He had been mugged last night of wallet, cash and phone. I asked what I could do to help and agreed to western union funds to him in London. Except that you can't claim without an i.d. of course so it would have to go to the hotel manager. Following me?

I sends the five hundred large plus pays the hefty fee. I email him back on an unfamiliar yahoo email address that bears his true name in the prefix side. What do you call that side of an email address anyway?

***

Now the name of my friend has disappeared from Facebook. I am noticing small inconsistencies in the letter, control questions where I never got an adequate answer. Is my friend actually stranded in Europe or have I been the victim of a beautiful Facebook takeover and the resultant elaborate scam? The woman at Western Union had cautioned me about scams originating from the continent. So simple really, with gullible me...

I just got this note that the money had been received. Would an actual scammer bother to write back a note?

Thanks a lot for all your effort in getting me back home.. I just got the money now and i will be in the next available flight back to the state.

I owe you a lot.

***

I await the fate of this personal conundrum with bated breath and rapt attention. If I am the victim of a dastardly ruse, I will know that I am not the first man to be punked while coming to the aid of his fellow.

Faithfully,