Nigerian letter scam gets a crafty new twist
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- March 13, 2018
- 1798
You're good at your job, so good that a former client remembered your hard work and left you millions of dollars. Sounds like a dream come true, right? It's really a crafty new version of the Nigerian letter scam. BBB has received reports of scammers sending letters to people based on their current or former occupations.
You receive a letter in the mail that appears to come from a law firm. One recent version used the name "Bill Millman & Associates" and claimed to be located in Toronto. The law firm is contacting you on behalf of their "late client." They have good news! In his will the client left you several million dollars.
This may sound like a classic Nigerian letter scam, but there's a twist. This letter is specifically being sent to nurses. It claims that the client remembered the excellent care he received "while he was on a business trip in the U.S."
Scammers are getting more targeted by using professional listings and databases to craft realistic stories. But no matter the form, the scams work the same way. The target is due a large sum of money, but they must pay various "fees," "taxes" or "bribes" to move it from one country to another. No matter how much the victim pays upfront, the money never seems to arrive.
Just throw it out: If you receive a letter from Nigeria or any other country asking you to send personal or banking information, do not reply.
Cashier checks and money orders can be counterfeit. When a stranger sends a check or money, consult with your bank about the time it will take to verify the check. Wait for the funds to clear before withdrawing money. This can be as long as two or three weeks.
Report it: If you or someone you know has lost money to advance fee fraud schemes, report it to the U.S. Secret Service at www.secretservice.gov.
To protect yourself from all kinds of scams, visit the BBB Scam Tips page at www.BBB.org/scamtips.
Visit www.bbb.org/canton or call 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, report a scam with Scam Tracker, read tips, follow us on social media and more.