Aman Yon Wealth Advisor Blog

The 419 fraud has become one of the most active ones used during the past few years. Since most people in the world use the Internet for at least one purpose, it’s become easier than ever for people to hack into email accounts. In the course of this scam, the person getting the email is solicited for money under the illusion that they’ll get more back.

The advance-fee scam, active for quite some time, originated from some African countries, but has been adapted by scammers in other countries. Through email, the recipient is informed about a large volume of money, and all they need to do is send a small advance. Even though this smacks of an illegal activity many people have fallen for it, losing money.

In this fraud a person is contacted and told that the writer is entitled to a large amount of money, but a certain amount of money must be advanced for administration fees and their personal bank account number must be provided so funds can be transferred. However, this also means that victims can get money taken from their own bank account as well as the advance funds.

The 419 fraud comes from overseas so, of course, there is no way to check on the authenticity of the person sending the e-mail, fax, or other communication. In the rare cases where there is an included telephone number, it is vital to use telephone services such as cell-registry.com/954/603/ to verify the validity of the offer. Very seldom does one receive anything but a name and an e-mail address, however, so caution should always be taken when considering a transaction of this kind.

Often the person receiving a 419 fraud communication is elderly or is low on funds. As such, the offer is exceedingly enticing, as it provides an opportunity to resolve any and all financial difficulties. However, these people just end up scammed and losing whatever money they had before, leaving them destitute.

Don’t ever trust anyone from a foreign country who offers you a lot of money over email. Questions that should immediately come to mind might include: How did they get my name and e-mail? What could I possibly offer them? Who is this person or company anyway?

The world is a smaller place thanks to the Internet. Communicating with individuals from foreign countries is enjoyable. However, this has also allowed for scammers to target a much larger volume of people. The 419 fraud scheme is a typical example of this for of exploitation.

Be wary of any sort of email message from someone you don’t know, as you can’t be sure why it was sent. Don’t trust anything that offers you something for nothing, especially over email. A thorough investigation should be made and, if suspect, the correspondence should be turned over to the fraud division of whichever government agency is concerned.