Tips to Avoiding International Mass Marketing Fraud
The FBI offers these tips to avoid international mass-marketing frauds, such as the Nigerian and other foreign goverment scams.
- If you receive a letter, email or telephone solicitation from another country asking you to send personal banking information, do not reply in any manner. Provide the information to the FBI as soon as possible.
- If you know someone who is corresponding in one of these schemes, encourage that person to contact the FBI.
- Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian, other foreign government officials, or claiming to be the FBI, U.S. Customs or the Internal Revenue Service asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts or asking for advance fees so that you can collect any funds or alleged winnings.
- Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.
- Guard your account information carefully.