What is it?
- Advance fee fraud is also known as ‘419’ fraud after the relevant section of the Nigerian Criminal Code.
- It is a payment ‘up front’ fraud with a promise of wealth or employment to follow – it is a scam!
- It is an increasingly popular crime within organised crime networks – nationally and internationally.
- The stakes and profits for the criminals are high.
- Advance fee fraud has been happening for centuries – it is a confidence trick!
How does it work?
- There are a vast number of scams and fraudsters will use any means, phone, mail or email to contact their targets.
- Fraudsters will have a seemingly plausible story – often purporting to be company directors or executives, legal representatives or doctors – in an attempt to convince an unsuspecting target that their claims are genuine.
- The correspondence will often be made to look like an official document in order to give more credibility to the story.
- The fraudster usually describes a possible ‘mutual business interest’ and explains that the addressee has been contacted in confidence.
- The correspondence goes on to describe one of many scenarios – but with promises that the writer is prepared to share a vast wealth in return for cash up front to cover administrative costs or personal and / or banking details.
They are scams designed to encourage victims to part with their money.
What should you do if you receive an advance fee fraud letter or email?
- Do not respond under any circumstances – you may end up on a ‘suckers list’ and become a bigger target for scammers and fraudsters
- Do not send money
- Do not send personal or financial details to people you do not know
If you have already become embroiled in a scam – seek advice. There are a number of websites with more information;
http://www.scambusters.org/
www.thinkjessica.com
www.actionfraud.org.uk/
For further help read our section on Action Fraud which is the UK’s national fraud reporting centre.
Think - is it a scam? If it sounds too good to be true - then it generally is!
