Crime Prevention Email Scams

Two prevalent email scams are Phishing and the Advanced Fee Letter Fraud.

For information on other email scams, visit www.phonebusters.com.

What is Phishing?

The word phishing comes from the analogy that Internet scammers are using email lures to fish for passwords and financial data from the sea of Internet users. Phishing is also called brand spoofing.

In a typical phishing scam, phony email messages and Web pages are created to look like existing, legitimate Web sites and businesses, such as financial institutions. Scammers send fraudulent emails, claiming to be from your bank or another institution that already has your personal details, asking you to update or confirm those details. These email messages often ask for information, such as credit card numbers, bank account information, social insurance numbers and passwords.

What happens when you’ve been phished?

Criminals phish for your personal and financial information to commit fraud.

Your credit card could be used for unauthorized purchases.
Your bank account could be cleared out.
Personal information may be used in an identity theft scam.
Information may be sold to identity theft rings.

Tips on How to Spot and Avoid Phishing Scams

If you receive an email pretending to be from a financial institution or any business that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the email.
Legitimate banks and businesses will never ask for confidential information through regular email.
Do not trust email headers. They can be easily forged.

Look for misspelled words.
Remember that the hyperlink in the email that you click on may not connect you with the site you believe it will.
Routinely review your credit card and bank statements for unauthorized or suspicious transactions.
Protect your computer with up-to-date anti-virus software, spyware filters, email filters and firewall programs.
Contact the financial institution immediately via phone with a known phone number, to report any suspicious activity.
Always report phishing or spoofed emails.

To report phishing scams, email reportphishing@antiphishing.org and/or the financial institution that the email appears to be from.

You can also report phishing scams to Phonebusters toll free at 1-888-495-8501, or via their website at www.phonebusters.com

If you have been a victim of this fraud, contact the Winnipeg Police Service at 986-6222

Advanced Fee Letter Fraud

(419 / West African / Nigerian Letters)

Throughout Canada, the United States and around the world, the public receives unsolicited email, mail and faxes daily from con artists claiming to be legitimate people who need help getting their own money out of foreign countries. Commonly referred to as Nigerian Letter Scams or West African Fraud Letters, these requests for an “urgent business transaction" make up one of the most successful scam operations ever, netting con artists millions of dollars each year.

How it Works

Con artists email or write to thousands of people, claiming to be government officials, business owners or heirs to large sums of money tied up in Nigeria or other countries. They offer to transfer a percentage of their fortune to your bank account if you agree to pay fees or taxes to help them access the money and move it out of their country. The letters stress a need to act quickly and to keep the transaction confidential. They also stress the importance of trust and honesty on both sides of the deal, to make the reader believe the situation is valid.

Typically, after receiving a letter, a consumer would respond either by phone, fax, or email, to get more information on how to proceed with the transaction. Once contact is established, the writer of the letter will normally ask for an advance fee and in some cases, arrange for a meeting to discuss the transfer of funds. Most letters come with a breakdown of the percentage of money each party involved will receive once the transaction is final. For instance, many letters offer the following breakdown:

30% for the account holder
60% for me and my partners
10% to be used in offsetting taxes and all local and foreign expenses

Bottom line: This is a scam. You will never receive any money; and you may open yourself up to fraud, identify theft or in the worst cases, physical harm or death.

The Winnipeg Police Service advises consumers not to open unsolicited emails. Spam usually means scam; and the message may contain a virus that can damage your computer.

If you have received one of these suspicious emails:

Report it to Phonebusters toll free at 1-888-495-8501, or via their website at www.phonebusters.com

If you have been a victim of this fraud, contact the Winnipeg Police Service at 986-6222
For more information on Advanced Fee Letter Fraud, visit the PhoneBusters Web site by clicking on the links below:

For more information about Consumer Frauds and Scams, contact the Winnipeg Police Service Community Relations Unit at 986-6322 or email us or Manitoba Consumer and Corporate Affairs Consumers’ Bureau at 945-3800