How to spot scams like "Next Of Kin" email scam

What kind of scam is "Next Of Kin"?

We have examined this email and determined that it is used to trick unsuspecting recipients into parting with their money in an inheritance scam. It offers to share the unclaimed funds of a supposedly deceased person. We also found that there are at least two versions of this scam email.

More about the "Next Of Kin" scam email

This scam letter claims that a man named Manfred Hoffman died in a plane crash with nearly twenty million dollars in his bank account. It also says that only the sender of the letter (supposedly the account officer) and the deceased person know about this money.

The letter states that fifty percent would go to the "account officer" and forty percent to the recipient, with the condition that the remaining ten percent would be used for necessary expenses. The purpose of this scam email is to trick recipients into believing that they can split the money with the account officer if they agree to be presented as the next of kin of the person who owns the money.

Usually, scammers behind inheritance (and similar) scams aim to trick recipients into transferring money and (or) providing personal information. People who fall for such scams lose money and (or) encounter other issues. Thus, it is strongly recommended to mark such emails as spam and delete them.

Threat Summary:

Name	Next Of Kin Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Unclaimed funds can be received from a bank account of another person
Disguise	Letter from "account officer"
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the computer.
Distribution methods	Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Similar scam emails in general

Usually, crooks behind scam emails pretend to be legitimate companies, organizations, or other entities, or real people. They aim to trick unsuspecting recipients into providing sensitive information or transferring money.

Examples of scam emails are "Mega Millions International Lottery", "DHL - Your Parcel Delivery Arrived Today", and "Contract Document". Threat actors also use email to deliver malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Threat actors behind emails used to distribute malware aim to lure recipients into opening attached files or links (or files downloaded via links). Most cybercriminals use malicious Microsoft Office, PDF documents, JavaScript files, executables, ISO files, and archives to deliver malware. Users infect computers when they download and execute malware by themselves.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Avoid opening attachments and links in irrelevant emails sent from unknown addresses. Double-check emails before opening their contents. Download programs (and files) from official websites and stores only. Do not trust advertisements on questionable pages.

Keep your computer updated. Always update and activate the installed software with tools provided by the official developers. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Next Of Kin" email letter:

Subject: COMPLIMENT OF THE SEASON

From The Desk Of Mr
Alassane Bala Sakande,
Manager Audit Account Dept,
Bank Of Africa Ouagadougou
Burkina-Faso.

Good Day.

I am Mr.
Alassane Bala Sakande Manager Audit/Accounting Department BANK OF AFRICA
U.B.A Ouagadougou Burkina-Faso, I would like to know if this proposal
will be worthwhile for your acceptance have a Foreign Customer,
Manfred Hoffman from Germany who was an Investor, Crude Oil Merchant
and Federal Government Contractor, he was a victim with Concord Air
Line, flight AF4590 killing 113 people crashed on 25 July 2000 near
Paris leaving a closing balance of eighteen Million five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars ($18.500 000 ) in one of his Private US
dollar Account that was been managed by me as his Customer's Account
Officer.

Base on my security report, these funds can be claimed without any
hitches as no one is aware of the funds and it's closing balance
except me and the customer who is (Now Deceased) therefore, I can
present you as the Next of Kin and we will work out the modalities for
the claiming of the funds in accordance with the law.

Now, if you are interested and really sure of your trustworthy,
Accountability and confidentiality on this transaction without
disappointment, you can contact me using my private email address:
alassanebalasaknde98@gmail.com

Our sharing ratio will be 50% for me and 40% for you, While 10% will
be for the necessary expenses that might occur along the line.

I expect your reply
Sincerely
Mr
Alassane Bala Sakande.

Screenshot of another variant:

Text in this variant:

Subject: Greetings

Greetings,
Compliment of the season, My Name is Raymond Chiluwa, I have a very confidential Proposal that will benefit both of us, am auditor to my client who passed away after a brief illness leaving the sum of ($12.8 Million) without any next of kin and is a businessman. I have researched the account holder family living no trace of any beneficiary of any kind. The importance/role in this proposed deal is the fact that I have people who are well positioned and officially capable of leveraging a successful claim of the available fund, by presenting you as a beneficiary. We are equally capable of setting up the internal paperwork, as a basis to officially make it possible for you to be recognized as the bona-fide next of kin and beneficiary to the available fund, which of course, will be eventually split between us on terms to be agreed. The sharing of the fund is 50% for you while 50% for me. I'm very much intrested in the real estate business that has been my dream, as soon as this fund is released to you then you can direct me on how to invest in real estate. Please keep this very confidential for security reasons.
I look forward to hearing from you,

Yours truly,

Raymond Chiluwa

Yet another example of an email from this spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Business Proposal

 

Good day,
 
I am Adnan Menderes Yayla, Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President QNB Finansbank, Istanbul office Turkey. I am pleased to get across to you for a very urgent and profitable business proposal which I believe will profit the both of us after completion. I contacted you after going through your profile  that you might be capable of handling this business transaction without betrayal, There is this client of mine Mr. Roger Ian Wright a US businessman, founder of a Sao Paulo-based investment company and Owner of  ENGEN OIL AND GAS COMPANY LTD made a fixed deposit with my bank in January 2009 for 36 calendar months, valued at (US$ 67,500,000)Sixty Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars Only, The due date for this deposit contract was the 2nd of April 2012, Mr. Roger Ian Wright, his wife and his two children all died in a plane crash in Sao Paulo Brazil.
 
You can find below the links pertaining to this accident
 
-
All attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless, My position here at my office requires me to investigate and provide the Next of Kin or Business Partner, I therefore made further investigations and discovered that Mr. Roger Ian Wright did not declare any next of kin or relation in all his official documents including his deposit documents in my bank, According to Turkish Law the money will be reverted to the ownership of the Turkish government after 12 years if nobody applies to claim the fund, To prevent this from happening I have decided to seek your assistance to have you stand as his Business Associate so that the said fund (US$ 67.5 Million USD) would be released in your name as the next of kin and paid into your account, All documents and proof that will have you claim this funds without stress will be forwarded to you upon your response to this mail.
 
Your immediate response will be appreciated.
 
Sincerely,
 
Adnan Menderes Yayla
Chief Financial Officer & Executive
Vice President QNB Finansbank Turkey

Yet another example of an email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject:  Greetings,

Greetings,
Compliment of the season, My Name is John Pedro, I have a very confidential Proposal that will benefit both of us, am auditor to my client who passed away after a brief illness leaving the sum of ($12.8 Million) without any next of kin and is a businessman.

I have researched the account holder family living no trace of any beneficiary of any kind. The importance/role in this proposed deal is the fact that I have people who are well positioned and officially capable of leveraging a successful claim of the available fund, by presenting you as a beneficiary. We are equally capable of setting up the internal paperwork, as a basis to officially make it possible for you to be recognized as the bona-fide next of kin and beneficiary to the available fund, which of course, will be eventually split between us on terms to be agreed.

The sharing of the fund is 45% for you while 45% for me. and 10% to cover our expenses after the deal. I'm very much intrested in the real estate business that has been my dream, as soon as this fund is released to you then you can direct me on how to invest in real estate.
Please keep this absolutely confidential for security reasons and tell me if you are interested but I can assure you 100% risk free as I know how to go about it, I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,

John Pedro

Yet another email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: REPLY URGENTLY

 

Hello,

How are you doing?

I am  Mr. Doug Macpherson an external auditor of a reputable bank. In
one of our periodic audits, I discovered a dormant account, which has
not been operated for the past Five years. From my investigations and
confirmations, the owner of this account is a foreigner who died long
ago and since then nobody has done anything as regards the claiming of
this money because he has no family members who are aware of the
existence of neither the account nor the funds. I have secretly
discussed this matter with a top senior official here and we have agreed
to find a reliable foreign partner to deal with us although due to his
position he did not want to take an active part but as soon as you
follow my instructions everything will be successful because we
will be working hand in hand with him. With this purpose to do business
with you, standing in as the next of kin of these funds from the
deceased and after due legal processes have been followed the fund will
be released to your account without delay and we will use it for
investment and to assist the less privileged in the societies because if
we left the fund with the government it will be fortified for
nothing and will be used to suppress the poor masses in the society.

On receipt of your response, I will furnish you with more details as it
relates to this mutual benefit transaction. Do contact me immediately
whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will
enable me to scout for another foreign Partner to carry out this deal.
But where you are interested, contact me URGENTLY for more details as
time is of the essence in this business.

Best Regards,

Doug Macpherson

Yet another example of an email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Awaiting Your Response.

Good Day,

Please be informed that your contact e-mail was extracted by my subordinate from social [business] foreign network record registry in quest for a business partner who could possibly be interested in the offer I am about to propose to you for consideration.  I am Russell Pierce, the International Relationships Manager at HSBC International Bank. I handle portfolios of high net-worth individuals (foreign investors) under HSBC management and have over 200 of these high net-worth investors attached to my portfolio whose Capital Investment Funds are being managed and administered by me.

I am contacting you in regards to a deceased client who died in an auto accident on the Madrid Highway in March 2015, he was a prominent client of mine. He happens to share the same last name with you. Before his death, my client deposited (22 Million USD) at the vault of a financial institution in Europe. Documentation regarding this transaction indicates that claims can only be made by his relative/family member.

All efforts that were made, revealed no link to any of his family members as he had no will. However, the New EU law of successions/claims/funds indicates a duration in which such claims can be tolerated. The financial institution has mandated me to present the next of kin or a relative who will claim the funds and failure to respond to this ultimatum will legally allow the financial institute to report these funds to the Central Bank of EU as unclaimed funds (Lack of supersede).

I and my colleague have put in place all necessary requirements concerning the release of the funds and it is my intention to introduce this opportunity to you as the beneficiary. Please note that I am legally equipped with all necessary information/documentation concerning these funds. Upon your decision of acceptance, I will process the release of these funds at a 50/50 split (you would be entitled to 50% of the said funds).

For security reasons, I have decided not to include more information into this letter, but as soon you respond, I will be able to inform you on how this could be concluded. It has been my wish to have an investment outside my country so, this is an opportunity for me to invest my share of these funds in your country.
In conclusion, it is my concern to call for your ultimate honesty, co-operation and confidentiality to enable us to conclude this transaction. I can assure you that this process will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will legally protect you from any breech of law.

For time difference and confidential reasons, I strongly advise that you first make contact via email.

Best Regards,

Russell Pierce

International Relationships Manager
HSBC International Bank

Another example of an email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Hi

Dear sir and Madam

I am James Phillips personal assistant to Mark Stewart who is a financial advisor and former director BDO South Africa.  I write to you with regards to one of my late clients who left a huge amount in a private security and financial institution unclaimed.

The amount involved is USD$4,000.000.00. My client next of kin is very young and a girl who is looking for a foreign investor to assist her re-invests this fund into a lucrative business venture.

Your urgent response will enable me to give you more details on how this transaction will be finalized.

Yours truly,
James Phillips.
(Financial and Investment Advisor)

Another example of an email from "Next of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: REMAIN BLESSED

My Dearest.

This is a blessing Notice

I am sure this mail would be coming to you as a surprise since we have
never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided to
choose you, Its a work of God for me to be able to locate you.

I'm Mrs. Mary louis, from London, a 76 years old widow with cancer. I
got your email ID from your country's guest book while looking for a
reliable person whom I can confide in, I want to share my personal
information with you. send you a letter of authorization to contact
the bank First inland bank Nigeria plc, so that they can transfer my
funds (10,000.000) ten million dollars to your account for the purpose
of helping the poor as indicated on my WILL.

To conclude with this bequest, please provide me with your Data to
fully which I will use to write a Letter of Authorization on your
behalf and send it to the bank as my new Next of Kin.

Full Names:
Physical address;
Age:
Direct telephone number
Occupation

Note: Please I do not want you to thank me, same gesture was shown to
us, all I need you to do is, When you get this fund, use %15 for
yourself and the rest to assist the less privileged in your community
and country,this is the only way to immortalize us when I am gone.

Reply me through my Private Email: mary884902@gmail.com

Yours Faithfully
Mrs.Mary Louis
Cancer Centre: Christie Hospital NHS Trust
(Manchester, UK) North West of England

Another variant of "Next Of Kin" spam email:

Text presented within:

Subject: REMAIN BLESSED

 

Greetings to you.

Please do not view my plea as a contrived plot.My trusted family
attorney who would have executed my WILL & TESTAMENT on my behalf died
early this year after a brief illness.I therefore prayed fervently and
by the special grace of GOD,i was led to you.I am Mrs.Mary Louis,from
United Kingdom,I am 62 years old. I am suffering from cancer of the
lungs and it has affected part of my brain cells due to
complications.My condition is deteriorating and according to my
doctors I may not be alive in the next couple of months,unless there
is a divine intervention.

I was orphaned as a child and got married to late Engineer.Steve Louis
for twenty years without having an offspring.My late husband had
chronic cardiovascular condition and died of cardiac arrest few years
ago.Steve and I lived in Nigeria for over 18 years,where my husband a
petrochemical engineer by profession worked and rose through the ranks
and became an executive director in a multinational oil servicing and
exploration conglomerate, before his untimely death.He also
established huge private investments that i supervised before his
death and which forms the major source of our fortune.

Consequent upon the shocking demise of my priceless husband, I opted
as a rule, not to re-marry. When medical reports revealed that my
cancer ailment have become terminal & more so because i do not have a
direct next of kin to bequeath all that STEVE & I labored for,i sold
off all our choice assets,landed properties and other valuable family
treasures and deposited the proceeds amounting to USD$10,000,000.00
(TEN MILLION DOLLARS ONLY) with First Inland Bank of Nigeria plc. The
management of the bank has written me as the sole beneficiary of the
fund because of the unserviceable status of the fund over the years
and suggested to me in a 2 paragraph statement to issue a letter of
authorization to someone who can manage the fund on my behalf because
of my terminal illness and also threatened that the fund could be
confiscated upon my failure to adhere to their rules and regulations
as clearly spelt out in their code of conduct.

I am on admission at the intensive care unit of a London
hospital,located at Fulham road in west London United Kingdom. It is
the leading cancer treatment hospital in the world.I am currently
undergoing treatment there for late-stage terminal cancer of the
lungs. I am computer literate, I rarely talk but have my personal
laptop with me and have the permission of my physicians to use
it,hence I am writing from my sick bed in the (ICU).It is my last WISH
that 85% of this fund is invested substantially in any charitable
organization of your choice and administered as you may deem
fit,especially to the orphanage homes.You are at liberty to also
donate part of the funds to churches and mosques and also to fight for
CORONA-VIRUS.I have earmarked 5% of the total fund to run cost of
administration of WILL & TESTAMENT and also on logistics and other
sundry arrangements that you may require.

I crave your indulgence as a God fearing individual that equally has a
high moral pedestal and who is also an uncommon humanitarian that
cares so much about the plight of the less-privileged as much as I do,
to take it upon yourself and use this fund for the above mentioned
purposes. This is a painstaking decision I have taken in order to help
humanity in my little capacity as a people driven entrepreneur and a
very God fearing woman before I bow to God's sovereignty.

Note that as soon as I receive your reply and personal information as
listed below, I shall avail you with the official contact information
of the First Inland Bank plc officials,to enable you contact the Bank
without delays.I will also issue you with an official letter of
authorization,so that my bankers will recognize your status as the new
beneficiary of my ESTATE, FUND, WILL & TESTAMENT. Interestingly 10% of
the total sum is set aside as your compensation for accepting to play
this significant role for me and I hope you will appreciate my kind
gesture.

Let me remind you that the fund has an open beneficiary mandate and as
such,it is whom i personally authorize or appoint to act on my behalf
that the bank will ultimately recognize and release the funds to and
by this memo,the onus has fallen on you to assume this selfless and
noble responsibility that will catalyze change by exploring and
promoting the development of new interventions that will benefit the
poorest of the poor when the fund is transferred into your bank
account.

Please assure me that you will not treat this offer with levity but
will consciously yield my bequest continued existence.

Kindly send the information in this order:

(1) Your full names :============================= ======

(2) personal or official contact address:====================== =========

(3) Home or Office phone#:============Cellphone#: ==========Fax#:=======

(4) Your Age:===============

(5)Occupation:================ ===========

(6)Sex/Marital status:======================= =

I Await your kind response while hoping you will appreciate my
helpless predicament.

Reply me through my private email address: mary884902@gmail.com

May God bless your golden heart and soul.

Sincerely Yours,

Mrs.Mary Louis
(London Uk)

Another email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Please reply for more details

 

Beloved,

I write to seek your partnership in relocating a deposit from here (Libya) to any of your chosen location as long as it is safe.

This money belonged to a business man that was a bank client who died in the second civil war here in 2016.

The bank and government will claim this fund if no one claims it after 10 years of deposit because the client died interstate(without a next of kin).

Please be informed that i have done my underground works here and everything is safe and all communications and transactions will remain between us.

I will discuss more details once i hear from you via my private email: eky555163@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Enoch Kaye

Yet another example of an email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Greetings,

 

My Name is Mrs. Kathleen DeFays, from Belgium. I know that this
message will be a surprise to you. Firstly, I married my late husband
for thirty years without a child, and my husband died in a fatal
motor accident. Since his death I decided not to marry again because
of my age and unfortunately we don't have a child, my doctor confided
in me that I have less chances to live.

My late husband was A gold merchant who owned a small gold Mine in
Dubai; During his lifetime he deposited the sum of € 8.5 Million
Euros) Eight million, Five hundred thousand Euros in a bank in
Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso in West Africa. The
deposited money was from the sale of the shares, death benefits
payment and entitlements of my deceased husband by his company.
Because my late husband was one of the first people to discover a
large quantity of gold in Burkina Faso when buying from a French
company there.

I am sending this message to you praying that it will reach you in
good health, since I am not in good health in which I sleep every
night without knowing if I may be alive to see the next day. I have
been suffering from cancer for a long time and presently I am
partially suffering from a stroke illness which has become almost
impossible for me to move around. I decided to contact you to claim
the fund since I don't have any relation, I grew up from the orphanage
home,

I have decided to donate what remains to you for the support of
helping Motherless babies/Less privileged/Widows' because I am dying
and diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago. I have been touched by
God Almighty to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband
to you for the good work of God Almighty. I have asked Almighty God to
forgive me and believe he has, because He is a Merciful God, I will
be going in for an operation soon.

This is the reason I need your services to stand as my next of kin or
an executor to claim the funds for charity purposes. If this money
remains unclaimed after my death, the bank executives or the
government will take the money as unclaimed fund and maybe use it for
what I don't know, as everyone knows in that country is terrorist
attack and military coup, so it is a risk keeping the fund there
when I don't have any hope to live.

So I will instruct the bank to transfer this fund to you as a
foreigner but you have to promise me that you will take 40% of the
total money for your personal use While 60% of the money will go to
charity, Orphanage and less Privileges" and helping the Needy. I
grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family member,
just to ensure that the house of God is maintained. Am doing this so
that God will forgive my sins and accept my soul because this
sickness has suffered me so much.

I need your urgent answer to know if you will be able to execute this
project, and I will give you more information on how the funds will be
transferred to your bank account.

Thanks,
Mrs. Kathleen DeFays.

Yet another email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED

 

Diplomats Chambers.
Solicitors,advocates,notary public defender & legal aid commission
89 5th AveLinden, Randburg, 2195, Randburg, Johannesburg South Africa
Email: DiplomatsChambers@diplomats.com
Tell: +27 (0) 110-465-598
Whatsapp +27 (0) 736 615 983

Good day Sir/Madam,

I am happy to inform you that you share  same surname with my late client, a mining engineer. According to the information I got from the home affairs web you are his next of kin. I have been trying to locate you since. Please, your swift response will be highly appreciated. At last I can transfer his funds to you as his next of kin according to his instructions before his death in a motor accident. Please trust this is a 100% risk free transaction and do not entertain any fear. I am a Lawyer. I will handle everything.

100% trust, This email address belongs to you, I found it on the same file of my late client  confirm if it's yours.

Please reply to my personal email address (DiplomatsChambers@diplomats.com)                                    

Sincerely Yours.
Diplomat Desmond d.abbot.
Legal Consultant.

Screenshot of the attached PDF document:

Yet another email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Ukrain war victim/survivor

 

Hi dear,

My name is Mrs. Yulia Dymtro, the wife to one of the prominent Ukraine politician, My husband and my only child were killed by the Russian Military while we were trying to leave Ukraine through Kiev, I was rescued alive but I am trapped back here in Oblast of Lviv where I am receiving treatments, I just need an urgent assistance from you, My husband as a prominent politician and a businessman have 5 million euro in a turkish Financi bank and 30 million USD in a security company in DUBAI, It belongs to my late husband and I am the next of kin, we were saving the funds for his election in 2024. It is true that I do not know you, but I have confidence that you will not disappoint me. I offer to pay you %10 of the funds and the rest you can invest in your company for me. I wish that you contact the Turkish Financi bank first to receive the 5 million Euro, they will release the funds to you using the latest wire technology instantly. After that, then you can go to DUBAI to retrieve the 30 million USD. I will send you the power of attorney that will empower you to receive the funds and once the Turkish Financi bank sees my power of attorney they will transfer the 5 million euro to you.

Please get back to me immediately.

Yulia Dymtro

Yet another example of an email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: Happy Tuesday.

Email: louislewisky88@gmail.com
Telephone:(+27)-836-359-519

Hello

My Name is Louis Lewisky a top Bank Officer with Standard Bank of South Africa and I am in need of a reliable foreigner to carry out this important deal.

An account was opened in my bank by one of my customers a Dutch National from Germany who made a fixed deposit of $11,100,000.00 (Eleven Million, One hundred Thousand United States Dollars) and never show up again and I later discovered that he died with his entire family members on a plane crash that occurred in Libya on the 12th of May 2010 which I can give you a link to that crash if you care.

Since nobody is coming for this fund or knows about this fund I want to present a foreigner like you as next of kin to my late client so we can make the claim and you can contact me if you are interested so I can give you more detailed information about this transaction. For the sharing of the money will be shared in the ratio of 50% for me, 40% for you and 10% to cover our expenses after the deal.

Now the total amount to be transferred is $12.2 million because of the interest the fund has accumulated for some recent time.

Please keep this absolutely confidential and tell me if you are interested but I can assure you 100% risk free as I know how to go about it.

Waiting for your urgent reply and call.

Thanks.

Louis Lewisky
Email: louislewisky88@gmail.com

Yet another example of an email from "Next Of Kin" spam campaign:

Text presented within:

Subject: GREETINGS

 

Greetings

I know my letter will come to you as a surprise based on the fact that we don't know each other before, but first of all let me introduce myself to you. I am Mr. Edwin Larson, working with a bank in Switzerland. I have a confidential business proposal I want to do with you. I decided to contact you based on the fact that you bear the same surname with our late client, an oil merchant residing in Iraq. He moved his money from Iraq to Switzerland for investment purposes and went back to Iraq to bring his entire family to Switzerland but he died in a Bomb Blast with his entire family 9 years ago.

The Deceased client deposited the sum of $14, 000, 000, 00 US Dollars (Fourteen Million US dollars) in our bank here in Switzerland before he died. Of which I have all the documents in my possession as his account officer, I want to present you to the bank as the next of kin to the deceased person since you bear the same surname as him. You can easily make this deal with me because I am his account officer and nobody else knows about this deposit. He died a few weeks after the deposit was made. I have tried to search for any member of his family but could not get to anyone and the bank management cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as the next of kin or relation to the deceased person as indicated in the banking guideline but unfortunately he died alongside with his wife and two children at the Bomb Blast leaving nobody behind for the claim.

It is therefore upon this that I decided to make this business proposal to you so that you will apply as a relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody knows about this deposit and I don’t want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed funds or declared to the government of Switzerland which they will confiscate it. The request of a foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that he was a foreigner, and it will be better for you to stand as a relation to him since you bear the same surname with him.

I am the only one that knows about this transaction, I agree that 40% of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect to the provision of a foreign relationship, while 50% will be for me. Then the remaining 10% will be used for charity to help the less privileged. Thereafter I will visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore to enable the immediate transfer of these funds to you as arranged, you must apply first to the bank as relation or next of kin of the deceased indicating your application for the withdrawal of these funds to your nominated bank account before applying I will give you the necessary information you will need to know about the deceased deposit.

When responding I need your personal mobile phone number for easy and effective communication upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by email the text of the application which you will send to the bank and every order documents required. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is hitch free and you should not entertain any atom of fear based on I am his account officer. Trusting to hear from you immediately.

Best regards,
Mr. Edwin Larson

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• What is Next Of Kin scam email?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

Scammers behind inheritance (and similar) scams sent the same letter to all recipients. Their emails are non-targeted.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by this email, what should I do?

If you have provided your credit card details, ID card information, social security number, or similar information, contact the corresponding authorities as soon as possible.

I have downloaded and opened a malicious file attached to an email, is my computer infected?

If you have opened an executable file, your computer is probably infected. In other cases (if you have opened a malicious MS Office document or other file but have not performed additional actions), you may have avoided having your computer infected.

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?

No, crypto transactions are irreversible.

I have read the email but have not opened the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, emails cannot infect computers.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in email attachment?

Combo Cleaner can detect almost all known malware infections. Thus, it will remove any detected malware. If a computer is infected with high-end malware, a computer should be scanned using a full system scan since high-end malware usually hides deep in the system.

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