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Phishing and the African scam letter make up two of the top scams on the Internet. By learning to recognize certain characteristics and identifying these top scams, becoming a scam victim can be avoided. While phishing usually involves going to a fake website and entering bank account and credit card numbers, the African scam letter tries to set up a relationship with the scam victim long enough to have them cash a fake check in what is also known as the check scam. Many of the top scams from Africa include themes such as the hidden bank account with no beneficiaries. In this case, the scammer tries to get the scam victim to act as a relative or next of kin. Some of the top scams also contain themes such as the lottery scam where the email recipient has won an international lottery just from their email address.
Dear friend.Friday, March 28, 2008 7:59 AM I am Mr.Ahmad Kofi, Budget and Account manager of Ghana National Bank.I have an urgent and very confidential business proposition for you. In June,2000, a German property consultant and importer of used cars,Mr. Peter Andreas made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months,valued at US$6.1m(Six Million One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars )in my branch. It was to our utter surprise that we heard of his death,wife and children in an AF4590 plane crash in July 2000. See website below: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm On further investigation,I found out that he died without making a WILL, and hitherto, all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. Mr. Peter Andreas was residing at House 3 Madina, Accra Ghana. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. Peter Andreas did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents,including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$6.1m is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to Laws of Ghana,at the expiration of 8(Eight)years,the money will be declared frozen and forfeited to the Ghana Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next of kin or business partner to Mr. Peter Andreas so that the fruits of this old man's labor will not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials. This is simple,I will like you to provide immediately your full names and address,phone and fax numbers so that i can prepare the necessary documents that will put you in place as the next of kin or business partner.Your role in the transaction is to send an application for claim of the funds to our bank. Then,as top officials of the bank, I shall work behind-the-scene to make sure that your application is approved by the management of the bank, and the funds transfered to your nominated bank account. Please note that there is no risks involve at all, as all the paperwork for this transaction will be done legitimately and with my positions as top officials of the bank i would ensure a successful execution of this transaction. If you are interested, please reply immediately. Please send me your confidential telephone and fax numbers for easy communication. You should observe utmost CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECRECY in this transaction, and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I will require your assistance to invest my share in your country.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Thanks and regards. This scam letter represents one of the top scams on the Internet. Scam letters such as this one are examples of 419 fraud and should not be responded to. Contact authorities such as email and Internet providers as well as the FBI. Scams from Africa and other countries can be avoided by observing special features that make them identifiable. Some of the characteristics of these top scams include requests for urgency and confidentiality. Sometimes, they list a large amount of money as incentive for the scam victim to act. Return to Phishing Internet Scams Home Page » Return to Top Scams Home Page |