Jack Straw email hacked

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has had his private email account hacked by fraudsters who sent messages to his contacts claiming he was in need of emergency money while on a foreign trip.

Straw told The Lancashire Telegraph that the scammers emailed Labour Party members and constituents asking for €23,000, claiming his wife has lost his wallet while in Lagos, Nigeria.

The email sent from Straw's account said: "I misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel where my money and other valuable things were kept."

"I would like you to assist me with a soft loan urgently to settle my hotel bills and get myself back home," the message continued.

At the time the email was sent Straw was in fact in Britain. Microsoft has since suspended the Hotmail account which the politician used for constituency matters.

"The internet is wonderful in many ways, but these gangs put a lot of effort in because they make money from it," Straw said.

"Of course, it's unlikely that anyone would really believe that Jack Straw was stranded in Nigeria with no method of returning to the UK," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

"But, perhaps more worryingly, whoever broke into Straw's account has had access to his address book and emails that he has sent and received in the past. That information could be very useful for identity thieves," Cluley said.