I have recieved an e-mail from a person. For some reason, I got an e-mail from her saying to please help. She wanted me to contact this lawyer that works in Netherlands. and wants to send me a $20 million check via a courier from Netherland that would give me $7 million for helping become the benefiery of her fathers death, so I can claim the money. They have sent a picture of the person on the passport of the person that is to visit me. They want me to send $1500, to recieve $7 million for helping the family claim the funds. They sent me an email of the check, and a passport of the person that would visit me to drop off the check from Oceanic van Firma Financin. Is this a scam?
2007-07-20 03:48:58 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
"is this a scam"..............Does that really need an answer??
Try this - Email them and tell them to take the $1500 out of the $7mil. Guess what they will say? Then you will know whether its a scam or not!
2007-07-20 03:51:49 · answer #1 · answered by Mighty Lilywhite 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's called a "419 scam". The number "419" refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud, which is the country where the crime was originally committed. It spawned from 1980s Nigeria when its oil-based economy was on a serious decline and unemployed university students used it as a means of manipulating "shady" business dealings with Westerners.
It has evolved slightly with the use of modern day technology (internet) and realising that us in the West are greedy b4stards who have our common sense blinded by the prospect of a big, fat bank balance - this is the reason as to why people fall for it and why it still continues to this day, because dumbas$es buy into the bullsh!t.
I have heard of people selling their houses to "pay" the "advancing" fees for the millions of dollers which were never going to turn up anyway. They ended up broke with nothing left. And they deserved it; anyone who is going to be that thick - especially in the face of greed - deserves to lose the same amount that they were "trying" to make.
I have heard of gullable, very stupid people actually meeting up with these scammers (who are not friendly black people trying to feed the family), and they are basically small time mafia running out of Nigeria and parts of Europe. Some of the people who did meet up with these scammers, thinking the "deal" was real, have either got a severe beatings and then got mugged - or have even been murdered.
It's all very "innocent" when it's over the net and "friendly, courteous" emails are being sent, but the reality is these are desperate as$holes who will do anything just to steal the shirt from your back.
I know the majority of people in the world (especially Westerners) have little to no common sense. But you must really try your hardest to use it in situations like this. Basically, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. As they say, "there is no such thing as a free lunch", which I think says a lot.
At the end of the day, someone has randomly contacted you, via email, pretending to be your best mate offering you millions of dollars. Were the alarm bells not ringing? Or is it now me who is being the weapons-grade moron here?
There is no such thing as a "get-rich-quick" scheme. If there is, it is either:
1. A scam
2. A (very, very lucky) bet
3. A (very, very lucky) lottery ticket
4. Illegal
2007-07-20 11:22:40 · answer #2 · answered by mick dundee 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I hope you realise that tens of thousands of these emails go out from Nigeria. It is called the West Africa Scam. Youi are not the first nor the last to receive this. They hope that some poor fool will resond to them. If you go to a site called Scambaiters.com you will see all the different scams. You should report that email to Yahoo or whover is your provider and you can also report it to the police because they can trace some of them to the senders. I am sure if you checked this firm out you will find it does not exist and they will ask you to deposit money with Western Union as well. I know you would not be so taken in as to give them any banking information. Surely you write a check they will cash it and you will never hear from them again. I have loads of these which I keep in a special file and from time to time I place them all on Scambaiters.
2007-07-20 10:58:43 · answer #3 · answered by Dr Paul D 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes and a very old one. The scam has been around in many forms, but the bottom line is they ask for money, bank account information, identity information that could allow them to open credit in your name - whatever, claiming they need it to help them move money around, recieve something, whatever. In reuturn for your help they promise you some lofty reward, usually in the form of millions of dollars. If you bite they get your money, bank account information, steal your identity or whatever theyre after.
Sorry, there is no $7 million with your name on it in Africa. Watch out for similar scams, people usually spot the bigs one like that but fall for the smaller scale ones that sound more plausible. Always be suspicius of something that sounds too good to be true.
2007-07-20 10:56:04 · answer #4 · answered by Some dude 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
These people send out thousands of emails and if you answer them they know that your email is open the best advice anyone will give is to delete it immediately and do not open. If you do you will find as I did to my cost, that you suddenly start to get emails by the dozen. They are nothing but a big con. Take my word for this, I got 94 emails in one day. Use Spam Guard or some equivalent blockage on your computer.
2007-07-20 11:07:57 · answer #5 · answered by marjimcee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I once tried this and received a cheque for 17 million US dollars just for sending £1500 to the organising lawyer. Unfortunately, when I was flying home, the airliner was attacked by a vicious squadron of flying pigs, and we had to crash land in Loch Ness, where the monster ate my cheque....
2007-07-20 11:04:23 · answer #6 · answered by eriverpipe 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you better believe it's a scam where have you been that you can't see that once they get that $1500,you will never see or here from those people again.the whole thing is a scam it's one of the newer ones out of nigeria.keep your money you are already ahead of the game.
2007-07-21 00:14:08 · answer #7 · answered by STORMIROSEBUD 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is definitely a scam! We have been warned about this on television in England. Lots of people have lost money. DON'T DO IT! Always remember - if it sounds too good to be true, IT IS!
2007-07-20 11:02:20 · answer #8 · answered by Sandee 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes this is definatley a scam. Just delete it. I got an email like that a few weeks ago to which I replied:
"Go to hell, if you e-mail me again I'm going to find you, burn your house down, skin you alive, eat your pets and rape your family"
Funnily enough I never got a reply.
2007-07-20 10:52:35 · answer #9 · answered by Nicole W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look at website '419 eater'. That should answer your question, and probable show you a picture of the man who sent you the mail.
2007-07-20 10:58:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋