Letters From Nigeria

Often especially lately, you will receive in your inbox some person you do not know claiming to be an official (Lawyer, bank manager, relative to an exiled or fallen leader or some position of wealth).

These people will give you a story of how they must transfer huge sums of money or have you stand in as a next of kin or many other stories. This is the 419 advanced fee fraud. This named under criminal code of Nigeria section 419. Being one of the most corrupt government and law enforcement, rarely these perpetrators arrested or prosecuted. These frauds are not only in Nigeria now but have caught on in other countries as well.

The frequency of this became so much many people know that it is a fraud so many disregard. It now has morphed into the fake UK Lotto, Microsoft Lotto or many other claims saying you are a winner. A new version now used is a low interest loan company. Same intention, send an advanced fee.

Some have become clever offering payment but by counterfeit check or money order. These often will clear the bank at first until discovered to be fraudulent then person exchanging these held responsible for funds tendered. This too has stemmed the employment as a representative for handling foreign payment. Laundering and sending counterfeit checks or money orders as well.

Visible trends to look for in your email.

Senders email address, technique often when you hit reply a different free web based email will come up in the send to box. Most the time I see gmail, hotmail, yahoo or live most common gmail or live. Most always requested in the letter to send reply to different “private” email they list in their letter. In the email To: line will read undisclosed-recipients meaning this was mass sent. This should raise a red flag as questions arise,. Why hide sending address? If I was exclusive as a winner of your lotto why send it to many?

Conclusion

Be careful when dealing with people you do not know. Remember when offered something for nothing usually, it is a con game or fraud. These people have been doing this for years and raking in big as many fall for this. Best to when you see this delete it or forward to abuse@gmail.com , abuse@live.com or the email carrier with abuse in front.

All carriers will shut these emails down. Remember hit reply to get the actual email. The reason they hide it is so some will not report them.