A few months ago, I received this email in my junk box. First of all, I don’t know the sender. So, why is he sending me this email? Let’s analyze the content of the email.
We will analyze in depth all the elements of an inheritance scam email. This can be used as a reference for other types of beneficiary scam emails.
Sender's Email Address
- Content of the Email: The email marshalhenry004@gmail.com doesn’t match with the sender’s name Albert Jacquard.
- Suggestion: Check the sender’s email address to see if it's authentic. Look for inconsistencies or suspicious in the domains.
Subject Line
- Content of the Email: In this case, there is no subject line.
- Suggestion: Analyze the subject line if there is one. Scammers may use a subject line that sounds urgent or generic.
Greeting
- Content of the Email: It mentions "Greetings dears".
- Suggestion: Look out for cliched salutations or inconsistent ways of addressing the recipient. Authentic emails are typically customized.
Sender’s Identity
- Content of the Email: The person claimed to be a branch manager who works for the U.T.B Union Bank Of Togo.
- Suggestion: Investigate the claimed identity of the sender (e.g. lawyer, bank official). Verify through independent channels.
Narrative Content
- Content of the Email: It says "I have under my file a deceased customer who happens to share the same last name with you. He left a huge sum valued 7.5 Million Dollars with our bank."
- Suggestion: Examine the inheritance scenario in detail. Keep an eye out for contradictions, dramatic scenes, or manipulation of emotions.
Urgency Tone
- Content of the Email: It mentions "Reply back" and "Reply me back for proceedings".
- Suggestion: Look for any wording that makes the receiver feel compelled to answer right away.
Requests for Information
- Content of the Email: In this case, there are no requests for information.
- Suggestion: Keep an eye out for requests for financial or personal information. Sensitive information is rarely requested by email from trustworthy sources.
Fee Requirements
- Content of the Email: In this case, there are no fee requirements. If you ever reply to the email, the scammer will require some fees in order for you "to access to your inheritance".
- Suggestion: Look for any references to any upfront costs, fees, or inheritance-related expenses. a typical warning sign of fraud.
Grammar and Spelling
- Content of the Email: There are a lot of grammar mistakes in the email.
- Suggestion: Analyze the language's overall quality. Grammatical mistakes and strange language usage are frequent features of scam emails.
Attachments/Links
- Content of the Email: There are no attachments or links in this email.
- Suggestion: Take note of any links or attachments you get from these emails. Check their legitimacy before you click or open any links.
Contact Information
- Content of the Email: Except his "name" and "email address", we don’t have much information about the recipient.
- Suggestion: Look for legitimate means of communication, such phone numbers or official addresses.
Signature
- Content of the Email: The email signature was not professional.
- Suggestion: Check the professionalism of the email signature. Email scams may contain suspicious content or a misleading signature.
Emotional Manipulation
- Content of the Email: The con artist is in an urgent state in his message because he wants you to respond to him quickly.
- Suggestion: Examine whether the email manipulates the recipient's emotions by using strategies like urgency or pity.
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