Millions of dollars are easy to come by. They can be transferred straight to into a bank account. All a person needs to do is send money to cover legal expenses and various formalities.
That’s a common scam coming out of Third World countries. Con artists promise a percentage of millions of dollars for the use of an American bank account. But a problem usually creeps up before the transfer can be made, and the con artist asks for money to get through some red tape or legal problems.
The cons are referred to as advance-fee fraud or 419 cases, based on a Nigerian criminal code.
“It’s a scam that’s been going on for about 10 years out of South Africa and Nigeria,” Secret Service Resident Agent Ron Wampole of Portland said. Now, the scammers have advanced to using primarily email. They also send letters, like one that reached Seamingly Creative owner Lerena Ruby, or faxes.
Usually, the letters offer 10 percent of the promised transfer as compensation for the use of an American bank account.
“It’s been getting bigger and bigger,” Wampole said. “We handle all of Oregon out of our Secret Service office (in Portland).”
That office is receiving about 10 calls a day from persons receiving letters, email or faxes.
In Ruby’s case, the letter asked for no cash up front and promised 20 percent payment on more than $27 million with an additional 10 percent for incidental expenses.
“When the person responds, shows an interest, then the bad guys will email right back,” Wampole said. Before they can transfer the money, they ask for money to pay off officials, attorney fees or other expenses. They will often start by asking for $5,000.
“Then something will go wrong, and they’ll ask for more,” Wampole said.
“Most people don’t get involved at all,” Wampole said. Some get in over their heads and send hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to U.S. News and World Report on May 7, even a tiny response can net a fortune for those in a country where per capita income hits only $960 a year.
The money usually goes into a foreign bank account, which is used only temporarily to receive funds, Wampole said. The con artists rarely come to the United States, and that makes them harder catch.
Once the money is gone, it’s difficult to get it back.
Secret Service has established an office in Lagos, Nigeria, and works with local Nigerian authorities against this sort of fraud.
Email is as common as other types of spam now, and the con artists are hitting up churches more often now.
When a person receives such a letter, Wampole said, that person should disregard it and send it by mail or fax or forward email to the Secret Service Portland Office.
Mailing address is U.S. Secret Service, 1001 Southwest Fifth Ave., Suite 1020, Portland, 97204. Fax number is (503) 326-3258. Email address is [email protected].