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Did you get a letter or an e-mail from a bank or brokerage firm that sounds too good to be true, chances are it is a scam. We have seen dozens of victims who have been promised part of a fortune from a deceased person's accounts. The letter usually goes something like this:
Dear (insert victim name)
I am contacting you on a matter of great urgency. Mr. Smith died in a plane crash three years ago and has several million dollars in his accounts in our bank. According to the banking laws of this country if no heir comes forward within 4 years, the government takes possession of the accounts. We would like to propose that you pretend to be the heir of Mr. Smith in exchange for which we will give you a percentage of the money in the accounts and we can keep the rest. In order to accomplish the transfer of funds we need your account information and routing codes from your bank. Thank you for your help.
Thank you
Insert Name
Title
Bank Name
This is a simplified version of the letter's received and if you received it in the mail it is probably on official-looking stationary. Please believe that this is a scam; as soon as you give your routing numbers to wait for this transfer, your accounts will be drained.
Also, please keep in mind that by falsely pretending to be someone's heir for financial gain, you have commited wire fraud, which is a federal felony for which you can be arrested.
If you would like more information of feel you have been a victim or target of this type of scam, please contact the nearest office of the United States Secret Service. You can also contact them by e-mailing them at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov
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