I receive mails asking me to give my name to transfer funds from african countries to my account.is it legal?

Answer 1

No, it's a scam. It's usually some guy from Nigeria or wherever who says they have rights to a large sum of money, but needs to get it out of the country. In exchange for using your account to transfer the funds, they offer a genourous percentage of the proceeds.

What happens is that all sorts of administration fees and taxes start popping up, and it's paid from your account. Of course, these aren't real taxes, it's just them taking your money.

The funny thing is, I was reading the other day about this guy who does reverse scamming, which is where you string the conman along with the promise of your money.

I'll give you an example. This guy got the usual email and replied to say he was interested. But said he couldn't possible enter into this arrangement because his church (which he called the Church of the Painted Breast) does not allow their members to go into business with non-believers, if however he joined his faith, their wouldn't be a problem.

Sure enough, the conman took the bait and said he will join his church. So he told the conman about the specific initiation ceremony for joining this religion, which normally involves something humiliating. In one instance, he even got the conman to get a tattoo with the name of his new "God", even got photos to prove it.

Once he was a member, the conman tells him that he needs £18,000 for various fees and stuff to get to the £25m that was waiting. So he tells the conman that it's no problem, but to withdraw a sum that big from the church accounts would mean paying an £80 administration fee.

Sure enough, the following week, £80 arrives. He's successfully conned the conman. As the days go by, the conman is repeatedly emailing his "victim", so he replies to say he has lost faith in his God and left the church to become a clown and that he used the £80 to get the money from the church account and use it to have a party with his new clown friends. He even sets up a picture of some clowns getting drunk with a sign saying "thanks for the money".

Needless to say, this guy has got many angry emails, along with many death threats, but after a while they stop as the conman doesn't want to bring to much attention to himself.

I thought this was hilarous, especially the one that got a tattoo. If I ever get one I think I'll give it a try. I think that's what you should do when you get another one.

Try Googling "reverse scamming" for more ideas.

Answer 2

its perfectly legal for them to ask, and you to give those details. after all there is no harm in asking is there.

however it will be a scam designed to get you to give lots an lots of money (probably all of your money) to these individuals. So DONT DO IT.

think about it... if it was legal why should they approach you, why should they offer such high rewards, why should they be using odd emails accoutns, quoting odd telephoine numbers, why there should be so many similar requests.

its a ploy to rope in the gullable and naive and the greedy.

BTW many of these so called African / Nigerian scams are actually run from the UK, Eastern Europe & Russia.. check the message headers and see where the email originates rather than where they claim to do so. Its futile reporting those email addressess to the service provider as the scamsters generally move on pretty quickly to another set or marks using a new email ID

Another surefire giveaway is when they cite a UK telephone number starting with 07 or +447 .... these are mobiles/cellphones.

Answer 3

First off it's a scam. This means you give them your bank details with promises of being made a millionaire and then they withdraw everything you have.

Try scamming the scammers. Mail them back from an anonymous mail account and say you are very interested and would like to help. However, they first have to send you $200 to open a new bank account with, into which you will transfer a $20,000 loan you have recently taken from the bank. Of course you just wait for the $200 and don't tell them or send them anything and you disappear. Good luck.

Answer 4

No! It is a scam with the point of removing your money from you.
Do not be fooled by all the stuff they will try to tell you. Give the information to your local fraud department in your area (IE copies of e-mail etc.) This scam has been around for a long time and changes form. When they first attempted to scam me they sent a letter. I took it to the police and that's what they told me. Just ignore it. Also look out for anything which says you've won a lottery anywhere, which you have not entered. Or anything and anyone who says in order to retrieve funds you must give them money or access to your bank account. Check with Consumer Protection Fraud department.

Answer 5

It's a scam called the Nigerian scam.

The idea is that they sell you some sob-story in which millions of pounds somehow urgently have to be transferred to this country. They offer you a sizeable cut if you'll act as a middle-man.
Then you send them your bank details and usually they also ask you for some money up front to cover expenses (telegraphic transfers, bank letters etc.) They then take this money and you never see it again. If you give them enough information regarding your private details and bank accounts, they can even rob you.

The exact mechanism of the scam varies from email to email, but one thing is always true:

They never have the money, you just lose out.

Answer 6

I have been receiving the same thing they say you are approved for a loan but, first you have to send them $150 to pay for the bank to transfer the funds and then give them your bank account info./ after you send the money they then ask for another $100 dollars to pay the tax fee so the bank can then transfer the fund. It is all a scam I know I was one of the ones that paid the $150 dollars and I refused to give them anymore and boy do they keep calling and asking when I am going to send the rest. But,. I won't send anymore I never heard of having to pay a bank to transfer funds then having to pay a tax fee to make it legal.

Answer 7

Simple delete these emails and never send money to people your don't know on the internet. There are many conmen out there with fantastic persuasive skills. Some want you to help them transfer fictitious millions to your UK bank account for a commission. Others will tell you that you've won millions from Euro lottery. Delete them all! They are lying and want your hard earned cash.

Answer 8

i have NO SYMPATHY for whoever falls for this scam because the premise is based on a fraud in the first place.

what usually happens is, you are invited to help siphone illegal money out of some poor unfortunate African country.

whoever sends you this mail sends it confident in the knowledge that you probably think of him as some half wit who couldnt possible out smart you, when infact he is probably twice as smart as you and 10 times as ruthless.

so, if you fall for this scam you get no sympathy from me cos you too are a criminal and it is your greed that led you there.

Answer 9

Don't bother I lost 2,000 pounds on this. Didn't mind as knew the stakes & had to show to myself a quick buck never works. Africans are majority (pick up here MAJORITY before get the racist card thrown at me) the most corrupt people in the world. Charity money goes to military arms & why do you think not many wont do proper business with them? Africa could be a powerful continent but they don't get the pic. They'rd kill a chicken for food but not think about the eggs they lost. Don't bother trust me unless want to get burnt.

Answer 10

This is called money laundering. It is illegal. However, most of these people have no intention on transferring money to you. Once you are interested in their offer - they then will tell you to send them money so they can make the necessary arrangements.