Kokua Line
June Watanabe
Hard to believe that people are still falling for the Nigerian letter scam that officials have been warning people about for years. Iraqi version of
letter scam emergesYou know the pitch: Help transfer large amounts of money out of Nigeria, and you'll be richly rewarded with a percentage of the money.
The war with Iraq has spawned an Iraqi version of the scam, according to the Better Business Bureau of Hawaii.
Like the Nigerian letters (and e-mails/faxes), the Iraqi letters are also usually marked "urgent appeal" or "confidential," the BBB said. The sender claims to be from a family from an oil-rich area of Iraq.
"Although each letter may contain a slightly different appeal, the Iraqi family is offering 10 percent of $12.5 million for the assistance in the transfer of funds out of Iraq," the BBB said.
But if you respond, you'll likely find yourself out of a lot of money instead, with the con robber draining your bank account or demanding exorbitant transfer fees.
The BBB advises consumers and businesses not to provide any personal or banking information.
Better yet, don't even respond. Just forward the scam letter to BBB Hawaii at 1132 Bishop St., Suite 1507, Honolulu, HI 96813; fax 808-523-2335; or e-mail info@hawaii.bbb.org.
For more information, call the BBB at 536-6956 to listen to Tel-tip No. 026 on Nigerian Bank Schemes.
Other war-related scams
"It's unfortunate to think that citizens are the target of scam artists even during time of war," Ken Hunter, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, said in a news release. "BBB experience shows, however, that fraud perpetrators pick newsworthy events to trigger interest in their marketing ploys."BBBs have identified three types of war-related pitches being used by legitimate organizations, as well as less reputable ones: pleas for funds to help victims of the war or those fighting in the war, appeals to patriotism and claims of government affiliation or approval, and promotions that hype up fear and panic.
Before giving anything, check out any business or organization asking for money or selling a product; verify any claims; never reveal any personal or financial information to an unknown caller or telemarketer or respond to an unsolicited e-mail; and don't give in to sales pressure.
Basically, use common sense.
Check out any unknown business or nonprofit organization by calling the BBB at 536-6956 or at www.hawaii.bbb.org, or the state Office of Consumer Protection at 587-3222.
You can also get tips on charity appeals and reports on national charities by going to www.give.org.
OCP issued similar warnings about online solicitations from fraudulent groups following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. One example was of e-mailers posing as legitimate charities and directing people to private Web sites designed to steal credit card numbers.
If you receive a charitable solicitation that you suspect may be fraudulent, contact OCP at 586-2653.
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Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
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