A recent phishing email, which is a variation of the “Nigerian Prince” scam, a fund transfer fraud, states that the sender is undergoing treatment for cancer and that her late husband has left her millions of dollars that need to be issued to another person to avoid confiscation. The sender further states that she wants the recipient to donate the money to various charities. If the recipient responds to this email the sender may seek:
- A small amount of money for fees in connection with transferring ownership of the supposed fund.
- Your bank account number, SSN, birth date or other sensitive information to accomplish the transfer.
Please note that some scammers may even set up a fake online bank website that supposedly reflects the funds to be transferred to the recipient. Aside from stealing fees associated with the supposed fund transfer, any personal information shared is used to further exploit the victim. Examples include, identity theft and draining the recipient’s bank account.
Other variations of the Nigerian Prince scam include an email stating that the recipient is the named beneficiary in a will of an estate totaling one million or more. Personal information is then sought to confirm the recipient’s identity and transfer funds. Additionally, scammers may represent themselves as foreign government officials who are seeking to place large sums of money in overseas bank accounts or may be they may be seeking funds to fight a specific group or dictatorship.
If you have fallen victim to any of the Nigerian Prince scam variants or responded to one of these scam emails, please contact the U.S. Secret Service at 202.406.5572 or 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov
Please be reminded:
- If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
- Your personal information has value, protect it.
- Cashiers checks and money orders can be fraudulent. Consult with your financial institution about the time it will take for a check/funds to clear and wait for funds to clear.