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Question

I got a letter this morning from a total stranger saying that she had lost her family 4 years ago in a plane crash she also said that she has $18,500,000,00 in a long term deposit with a finance company in spain and she wants to give it to people in poor countries because she is going to die from a long term illness. But to do this she said that she needs my help to collect it with the help of her lawyer. she wants me to contact her lawyer by phone or email to disburse the money. i can keep 30%! i also have to send my full name, age, sex, occupation, phone number, passport, working id and drivers licence. i know this is probably a con but what is the point of it? is it to steal my identity??!

I also had a letter about 6 months ago which said i had won the euro lotto i knew that was a scam coz i never play it!! i think it's the same people coz the letters are always from spain!

Answer 1

Yes, it's to steal your identity. Report it to the police before someone who doesn't know better, ends up with nothing in their account and up to their eyes in debt and crimes they haven't committed

Answer 2

I am getting lots of these lately too. The only bit I don't agree with you about is when you said it was, 'probably a con'. It's a scam alright ! Some of the questions that I would be asking are :

How does a complete stranger get my e-mail address ? - They bought it along with the other e-mail addresses they have sent this same message to.

Why on earth does 'she' want all this information about you when, for some reason, (only 'she' knows,) 'she' has already 'accepted' you as the beneficiary to the 30 % ? - The answer to this question is simple too. We are already being heavily hacked by all sorts of people, 'legitimately' or not. Almost every time you unload something onto your computer, or registered to some site, someone has unloaded a cookie . Web addresses are then the easiest to get so the sell value is low. Build up a profile, like the questions given to you are intended to do, then YES - identity theft. The sell value of your information then hits the roof.

Why didn't she ask you for your bank account details ? Of all the questions that's the one that you would think the most relevant to the situation - although seconds after you do give it, your balance would have become zero.

There are ogher people on yahoo voicing the same concern as yourself. Suddenly, there is a lot of this kind of thing happening. There must be more suckers out there on the net than I reckoned.

Answer 3

It's a scam to get your banking details and clear out your account. I have had similar e-mails sent to me in the past 12 months and reported them to Yahoo who cancelled these peoples e-mail accounts.

Answer 4

Yes! It's a variant of the famous Nigerian scam, to steal your identity, your bank account and your money. Don't reply to it.

Answer 5

Once they have those details they could open a bank account in your name, order a credit card, get a loan - and you would be responsible. Leave well alone

Answer 6

Yes as you say you know its a con:::!!! but the point of it is ,that a "few" people (thats all they need) will comply, yes with that info they could get lots and lots of money of your identity !!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

She'll probably steal your identity and everything else you own if you give her any information - can you believe people actually fall for this crap??

Answer 8

Its is called a SCAM. BIG TME SCAM. Get rid of it, don't tell her anything. Don't give her ANY INFO on you at all. Its a SCAM BIG TIME.

Answer 9

I got one of those last year. It was in broken English. I just ignored it.

Answer 10

Get rid of it, it's a scam