How can I check the validity of a letter like this. I have

Hello, my name is XXXXX XXXXX it is my pleasure to assist you with your question today.

Was this sent to you by email or in the post?

Could you please type the email address again, but ONLY include the text that appears after the @ symbol. This is because our system automatically blocks full email addresses so this is one way of being able to view and verify it.

Has the letter asked you to do anything specific?

ok let me get my response ready please

it will be posted on here, it is the only way we can do this I'm afraid

This is almost certainly a scam. Such types of scams, known as ‘advance-fee fraud’ are unfortunately extremely common these days and many unsuspecting people fall for them.

The best way to spot these is by identifying specific 'red flags' that are almost always present. The following are the most common hallmarks of such scams and if they sound familiar then you can almost guarantee you are involved in a scam:

• Someone contacts you and promises you a large sum of money or items of high value. You are unlikely to have ever heard of or been involved with the persons/organizations concerned.


• Before you are able to receive what you are the promised, you are asked to pay a sum of money for various reasons, usually as clearance fees, administrative costs, taxes, etc. This is the advance-fee part of the scam.


• Tempted by the potential return, you pay the money in good faith. The usual request is for it to be sent via Western Union, Moneygram, prepaid cards, etc. These are the favoured payment methods used by fraudsters as it is extremely difficult to trace them that way.


• Once the money has been sent, the fraudster either stops all contact and the money never materializes, or they return and ask for further payments due to new unsuspected issues.


• The request has not come from an official email address – this has come from a Gmail account, which anyone can open in just a couple of minutes – official correspondence such as this would never come from such email addresses and would instead come from an official Government address.

This is a typical advance fee fraud scam and I have seen these hundreds of times in the past, all with different stories behind them. DO NOT proceed any further with this. DO NOT send any information and certainly do not send money if asked to. Cease all contact with the other party and do not even communicate any further with them.

Did you get my answer above by any chance?

Please let me know if this has answered your original question or if you need me to clarify anything else for you in relation to this, before I go offline? Thanks

I am glad you contacted us early enough, I have dealt with many people who have only sought the validity of such correspondence after sending over their life savings

You are most welcome, all the best