Finance cops warn of absurdly obvious scam

(CNS): It will not come as a surprise to most people that an e-mail claiming to be from the office of the Executive Director of the FBI telling the recipient that it's ok to claim over ten million dollars from the Bank of Nigeria is a scam. However, it seems that despite the extremely obvious nature of this particular con, officers from the financial crimes unit have still issued a public warning. DCI Claudia Brady said it may seem obvious but some people still see these scams as a possible way to profit. "While it is hard to believe that anyone would fall for such a scam times are hard and some people may see this as a way to 'get rich quick',” said DCI Claudia Brady.

The e-mail tells the recipient that an ATM card loaded with the ten million dollars is waiting to be couriered to them. They are then asked to provide financial details and pay large sums of money to complete the deal and pay for the courier service.

Pointing out the obvious Brady noted that it would be extremely unlikely for the FBI to load ten million dollars from an account you don't have onto an ATM and then courier it to you. “Do not respond to the e-mail do not even consider sending any cash or personal details. If you do you will end up losing cash instead of realising your dream of becoming an overnight millionaire."

Anyone who requires any advice about how to spot an internet scam should contact the Financial Crime Unit on 949-8797.