Email scam warning

Age Cymru is today urging people across Wales to be vigilant and to protect themselves from email scams.

The warning comes after we received an email claiming to be from a US Army soldier serving in Afghanistan, offering us a share in the $16.2 million proceeds of a crude oil deal.

Age Cymru's Elder Abuse Project Manager, Louise Hughes says:

"Scams can seem very convincing but they're all designed to do one thing - and that is to steal your money. 

"In this instance, the scammers are using a very elaborate cover-story to create a seemingly plausible (but far-fetched) scenario where the email sender is trying to gain the trust of the recipient.

"The sender will build up a relationship with the recipient before offering to transfer money into their bank account.

"Once the recipient reveals their bank details - to allow the supposed money transfer to take place, the email sender will clear out the bank account and steal the recipient's money.

"Cover stories are a very common part in email scams and if you receive anything like this in your email in-tray - such as someone claiming to be the widow of a former head of state of a banana republic wanting to transfer money into your account, then the alarm bells should be ringing.

"Remember, if it seems to be good to be true - such as a complete stranger contacting you from abroad, out-of-the-blue, offering you a share of millions of pounds, then it probably is a scam."

Age Cymru's top ten tips to avoid scams:

• If it seems too good to be true, it generally is too good to be true;
• If you haven't entered a competition, you can't have won a large cash prize;
• People who are genuine do not ask for money in advance;
• If you are unsure, or it doesn't feel right, don't respond - throw it away, hang up the phone and don't reply to texts or emails;
• Nothing bad will happen if you don't send a so-called psychic any money. They send the same letter to thousands of people telling them the same thing;
• Offers of large amounts of money from abroad are only made to get you to send them to your bank and personal details so they can steal from your account;
• Speak to a friend, relative, local Age Cymru or Consumer Direct if you are concerned about mail you have received;
• If you are being pressurised to buy on the telephone it is okay to say no and put the phone down;
• Responding to one item of scam mail can and usually does result in up to a hundred items of this kind of mail being sent directly;
• Reduce the scams you receive - join the Telephone Preference Service and the Mailing Preference Service (listed in your telephone directory);