Essentially, fraudsters try to tempt people, usually via email mail or fax, with the promise of large cash pay-outs in exchange for a small advance payment hence the name "advanced fee fraud". In Nigeria, it is named after the section of their criminal code which defines this kind of criminal activities; 419. Fraudsters have come up with a wide range of techniques, the most common of which are described below:

Spoof: The most common of high-tech Internet scams is called phishing (also called spoof) e-mails. These appear to be from a well-known company but can put you at risk. The bogus emails are sent with the hopes of enticing or just tricking the naïve into giving up personal information at fake websites that resemble the websites of legitimate financial institutions. Although they can be difficult to spot, they generally ask you to click a link back to a spoof website and provide, update or confirm sensitive personal information. To bait you, they may allude to an urgent or threatening condition concerning your account. The criminals are usually after your password or pin, credit card validation code, ATM/debit or credit card number, bank account details, or other personal details. This personal information is usually used to perpetuate identity theft.

Internet Lottery Win: Spoofs are sent to victims announcing to them their lottery win. The mails quote bogus winning ticket numbers and huge sums of money as payout. "Winners" are usually expected to come forward in a matter of weeks to collect their entitlements or forfeit their winnings. Often, as in all spoofs, these criminals con people into providing personal details and bank account information.

Next-of-Kin Inheritance: This is a very common fraudulent tactic. Individuals are contacted by persons claiming to be officials of a bank usually by email. They present bogus stories of foreigners who lived in their country and have passed on who share the same surname with their intended victims. Often they share news stories of the tragic accidents or natural disasters which were widely reported by the news media. They claim to be the "account manager" or "accountant" of huge sums of money left behind by the deceased who has no next-of-kin to inherit the money with the bank. There is usually a tone of urgency &mdash the money is about to be frozen or forwarded to an inaccessible account. Their intended victims are advised to come forward and claim rights to the non-existent inheritance. In essence, the fraudsters ask their victims to be partners in perpetuating fraud.

Job Offers: Spurious job offers are sent to people who have typically posted their CV's on internet sites. Fraudsters then contact them with attractive job offers based on their CV details. These offers often include official looking stationery purporting to come from, or on behalf of, Intercontinental Bank (UK) Plc. The perpetrators of these scams will try to obtain either personal details, money, or both.

Please be vigilant as the fraudsters are adept at changing their techniques to obtain your funds or your valuable personal details.

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Last updated: 29 June 2011