Site Map | Text Size:
S
M
L
|
Home | About the OCC | News and Issuances | Publications | Tools and Forms | Topics |
News and Issuances |
Alert 2007-12
Subject: Fraudulent E-mails Associated with a "419" Scam
Date: March 2, 2007 Description: Fraudulent E-mails Purportedly from U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services
Fraudulent Correspondence Claiming a Connection to the Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DCTo: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks; All State Banking Authorities; Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Conference of State Bank Supervisors; Deputy Comptrollers (districts); Assistant Deputy Comptrollers; District Counsel and Examining Personnel The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has been informed by the Committee on Financial Services of the U.S. House of Representatives that fraudulent correspondence, including e-mails, referring to the Committee and making use of the Committee's letterhead is in circulation. The communications inform potential victims that they are due to receive large sums of money from an inheritance, but that they must first pay a large fee through lawyers to the Financial Services Committee in order to verify that the funds are not tied to terrorist financing. The Financial Services Committee does not require any person to obtain what the con-artists are calling a "Clean Bill of Record" for receiving inheritance money. A "419" scam is named after Section 419 of the Nigerian Penal Code. This is one of the classic con artist schemes originating out of Nigeria and other countries via letter, fax or e-mail. The originator of the document will offer to transfer a large sum of money into your personal bank account for various reasons (sale of goods, estate monies, found monies, contest/lottery winnings). They may request personal information about you such as your address, telephone number, bank account number, copies of your passport, and driver's license. While the scams vary, they all work under the same premise to scam consumers out of their money. Many of these scams involve counterfeit official instruments such as cashier's checks, official checks, or money orders. The following steps should be taken if you have received a solicitation but have NOT lost funds:
If you have already lost funds in pursuit of the above-described scheme, please follow these steps:
Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be brought to the attention of the OCC may be forwarded to: E-mail: occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov /signed/ Richard C. Stearns |