I can smell it from way over here in Ohio.

A whole school of "fishey".

As soon as they want you to transfer money "to help a friend", I'd be running the other way.

Official looking doesn't help either. Remember how "official" the e-mails were supposedly from E-Bay asking for all the personal information. That e-mail even had a reply address of "e-bay.com. This was as as phoney as a $3.00 bill.