received a letter mailed in Oakland Ca. from China states that this banker had it mailed in the US to avoid it possibly not making it out of Hong Kong offering me an enormous amount of money (at least to me) by contacting him via phone email or fax.found my name in a chamber of commerace directory and was choosen because of my last name match a name of his client who is deceased and left this enormous amt of money in limbo in China. I have checked names and bank and some I can find and some I cant.if this is liget I don't want to pass it up but I am betting that if it is too good to be true it proably is but thought I would check here to see if anyone has a similar experience.
Already Tried: googled deceased mans name nothing googled bank in china it is there googled man writing letter and there are 31 profiles on google can't know if any are actually him.
Hi and thanks for your question. This is not a legitimate letter. It is a scam.
This is a variation of a very popular scam called the advance fee scam.
An advance fee scheme occurs when the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value—such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift—and then receives little or nothing in return.
The variety of advance fee schemes is limited only by the imagination of the con artists who offer them. They may involve the sale of products or services, the offering of investments, lottery winnings, “found money,” or many other “opportunities.” Clever con artists will offer to find financing arrangements for their clients who pay a “finder’s fee” in advance. They require their clients to sign contracts in which they agree to pay the fee when they are introduced to the financing source. Victims often learn that they are ineligible for financing only after they have paid the “finder” according to the contract. Such agreements may be legal unless it can be shown that the “finder” never had the intention or the ability to provide financing for the victims.
Tips for Avoiding Advanced Fee Schemes:
If the offer of an “opportunity” appears too good to be true, it probably is. Follow common business practice. For example, legitimate business is rarely conducted in cash on a street corner.
There is never a situation where you have been left a bequest, inheritance, gift, won a lottery or prize from another location, in which you have to pay a fee in advance.
If you respond to this individual, you will be asked to pay fees for something - transfer taxes or fees, impound fees, etc. - they have a multitude of reasons.
If you wish to report this scam, you can do so in a number of ways:
•You can report any scam to the Federal Trade Commission by email: XXXX@XXX.XXX
•If you were told you are due to receive money you can contact your local Secret Service field office by email: XXX.XXX@XXXX.XXXXX.XXX
•If you have already sent money, contact your local State Attorney General
www.ic3.gov
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the letter asks for no money just wants to split the money out there in limbo, if I reply will the request for money come about.
Yes, if you reply the request for money will come. Even worse, sometimes they obtain access to your personal accounts and drain them. Sometimes they actually send money orders, and they for some reason you have to refund a portion (for a commission or fee or something) and then it turns out later that the money order was fraudulent and you are left holding the bag. These schemes take on many different variations, but all of them are bad for you. You will NEVER receive a legitimate notice out of the blue that there are funds waiting for you. This is always a scam. If it were true, you would receive notice from a licensed attorney and there would be a formal legal process to follow. Unfortunately these scams net a lot of unwitting victims, so since they are lucrative, they continue to multiply.
Experience: 18 years of law practice including fraud investigation