Last week, I wrote an article on these Nigerian Scam Letters, also called Advanced Fee Fraud or 419 Scams - and zowie! In my mailbox yesterday, one arrived. Scary in how legitimate the check looks, it's very nicely done. Envelope has no return address, a floral postage stamp, and has been mailed from Canada.
The letter tells me that they've been trying oh-so-hard to find me - I've won a lottery! And by the way, I must send them a little over $2000 by Western Union, to cover the taxes which are already past due on my winnings. I need to call some accountant guy immediately -- it's oh so important. The letter actually implies that I'm in trouble with some taxing authority about these lottery winnings.
Yeah, right. I'm turning all this over to the Secret Service. I know what a Spanish Prisoner is, byjiminy.
Oh, and yeah - I did mean the Secret Service, you know, the same guys that protect the President. That's what the FTC instructs (see link below) -- if you get one of these, too, look up your local Secret Service office in your phone book, or surf over to their website to find your closest Secret Service field office.
For more information:
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Alert
United States Secret Service
NigerianScams.Org
Wikipedia - Advance Fee Frauds