How Does a 4-1-9 Scam Work?
The scam begins with an unsolicited message from a sender who claims to have gotten your name by chance or because you were recommended as trustworthy. Either way, you are his last opportunity for help, and he is desperate for your assistance. He claims to be a family member or close associate of a former government official or important businessperson, perhaps someone who lost his life during political upheaval. Before the sender’s associate died or became otherwise unavailable, he deposited a very large sum of money sometimes $1 million and sometimes as much as $35 million into a bank account in his home country. The problem is that the sender cannot get the money out of the country without your help. If you help to transfer the money, the sender promises, you will receive 15 to 50 percent of the total. The sender asks you to provide your bank account information so that the money may be transferred to the US. He may also ask for letterhead stationery from your business. Sometimes, t
