Hi everyone,
So the past few days, I've received two emails with the exact same short message about needing a favor from two different ladies in two different cities. I just spoke to one of the ladies on the phone because obviously I was very suspicious. Her email account was hacked. These people send a short message to all of the lady's contacts about needing a favor they are sure you can help with. When you respond, they give you a sob story about having a sister with cancer and needing money for her treatment right away, and "she" will be happy to trade services for it at a later date, blah blah blah. Both ladies had a Yahoo email address, and the lady I spoke with is sure that they are targeting Yahoo accounts specifically. She's been fighting them for control of their account all day, because they keep trying to lock her out.
TL;DR: If you get a message from a lady you know about needing a favor, her account has been hacked. Do not respond. Let her know immediately.