Many people have heard of the “419” scams. The term “419” comes from the Nigerian penal code section of that designation that deals with fraud. Despite a widespread belief that the people who get taken by these scams are greedy and stupid, many are not so. Many believe they are donating to distressed individuals and/or charities. These scams have spread into real estate as well, targeting house sellers and real estate agents.
The scam usually opens with a bait letter, assuring the recipient that the person contacting them is a) a widow whose husband left her millions that she cannot safely access due to her evil family, b) a high-ranking military official seeking to move money out of the control of their oppressive governmental regime, c) a representative of a mysterious person high up in the government, or d) a person interested in an item that the person is selling or representing.
If the target responds to the letter, the scammer usually replies with thanks and asks for personal information. Often this includes a bank account number, but this is not, as some people think, how the target is scammed. It is used as a gauge to determine if...