The Fresh Nigerian Prince Scam

No really, we promise this time, the $2.5 million is real and it’s waiting for you!

Who Is It Targeting: Email accounts

What Is It: Nigerian prince scam

What Are They After: This one might be the best Nigerian prince scam yet. In the past, we’ve seen the typical, “Dear Blessed, I’m a Nigerian prince and I need your help getting my money out of the country, for which I will share it with you.” Then, just to mess with everyone, there was a sharp rise in the threatening version that stated someone has been hired to kill you. Luckily, they’ve been following you and have decided not to kill you since they can see that you’re a good person. If you just pay them some money, they will tell the boss they already did the deed.

This one, though, received by a staffer at the Identity Theft Resource Center, is great. It actually claims to come from a Nigerian government agency who is working with the US and the EU to put an end to…you guessed it…Nigerian prince email scams! They claim their years of investigation have uprooted countless scammers and that prosecution is already underway. The email goes on to state that they’ve recovered millions and millions of dollars stolen from past victims, and your share is $2.5 million. In order to process your claim, all they need is every ounce of personal information you’ve got, including your passport number and your bank account number. You know, so they can put the money in your account, right?

How Can You Avoid It:

• You will NEVER receive money just because someone emailed you.
• No one will ever need your sensitive personal information through email or online.
• Please do not respond to any emails claiming there’s money waiting for you from another country, from lottery winnings, or from a major refund…ever.

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. Find more information about current scams and alerts here. For full details of this scam check out this article from Identity Theft Resource Center.