Have you received an email or message claiming that a lot of money is waiting for you, deposited in a Royal Bank of Scotland account? Or a person you do not know has lost a family member in a country with financial sanctions and they can not gain access to their millions of pounds inheritance without transferring it through your account ('Kenda Sheriff' from her late father 'Dr Sheriff Tausi')?
Please do not send any money or give your bank account details to the sender. Emails like this are from criminals, and the money they promise does not exist. The sender is using the promise of money to persuade you to send them your cash, or to elicit information from you which will enable them to steal money from your bank account.
A typical story may include some of the features below, but do not assume the email is genuine if they are not included as this is not a complete list:
- the money has been left by a deceased person in their will, or is from an unclaimed lottery jackpot.
- fake account numbers and personal details may be quoted in the email.
- contact details of non-existent bank employees are sometimes quoted.
- the "From" email address may look like a bank address.
- the criminals may register an internet domain to make the scam look more real.
- the email may read awkwardly or have grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, as they often originate abroad.