Another email scam making the rounds

If you received the following email or one like it, be aware that the sender's account has probably been compromised.  The email is an attempt to play on the sympathies of friends of the account holder.  Do not respond to this or similar  emails unless you can actually verify that the sender is indeed the person who owns the email account.  If it really was from a friend or acquaintance of yours in trouble, they would be able to provide you with convincing proof of their identity, and probably a phone number as well.  Several local residents were similarly scammed approximately a year ago, and once the money has been sent it is difficult to reverse the process.

Example of scam email making the rounds:

"Hope you get this on time,I made a trip this past weekend to Malaga,Spain and had my bag stolen from me with my passport and credit cards in it. The embassy is willing to help by letting me fly without my passport,I just have to pay for a ticket and settle Hotel bills. Unfortunately for me, I can't have access to funds without my credit card, I've made contact with my bank but they need more time to come up with a new one.I was thinking of asking you to lend me some quick funds that I can give back as soon as I get in. I really need to be on the next available flight.
I can forward you details on how you can get the funds to me. You can reach me via email or *********'s desk phone, the numbers are, *******************
Best regard,
**** "