Hoax Slayer investigates a new advance fee scheme

May 28, 2013 20:51 GMT  ·  By

Hoax Slayer has come across an interesting new 419 scam, also known as an advance fee scam. Emails purporting to come from an organization called the “European Financial Surveillance Union” inform recipients that they’re about to receive some money.

Entitled “European Financial Surveillance Union Payment Verdict,” the bogus notifications read something like this:

“We are delighted to have established contact with you this day according to past records and present once as brought to the EUROPEAN FINANCIAL SURVEILLANCE UNION, regarding your payment/fund transfer which have seen to be in possible for you to receive from Banks and other attempt made which from records you have been dealing with for a very longer time now ,but all to no avail.

Therefore, be informed that your payment has been directed to this Union for immediate CASH DELIVERY to you in your country therefore you should indicate your readiness to receive our AGENT who will be assigned to meet with you for the delivery of your Funds.”

Those who respond to these emails are informed that they’re entitled to a total of $6.2 million that can be transferred immediately.

Similar to other advance fee schemes, the scammers ask victims to send them a certain amount of money and personal information that’s allegedly needed to complete the transaction.

Of course, the “European Financial Surveillance Union” is not a real organization and no one ever gets any money.

The crooks on the other hand can make a hefty profit by fooling unsuspecting Internet users.

As Hoax Slayer highlights, many victims end up losing large amounts of money because once they start sending the so-called fees, the scammers keep pushing for more.

Many individuals will keep sending money even after they learn that they’re victims of a scam because they become more desperate for the chance to recover the amounts they’ve sent to the fraudsters.