Is this a scam?

busydaffodil1

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I have today recieved the following email. It sorts of smacks of a scam. Could anyone advise?[/FONT]
I have removed private details.



[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hello Sir/Madam,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]My name is ***********; I work with the ******* Consulting Firm in London. We are conducting a standard process investigation involving a client who shares the same name with you and also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this client at HSBC Bank Plc. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The HSBC Private Banking client died intestate and nominated no next of kin to inherit the title over the investments made with HSBC Bank Plc. The essence of this communication with you is to request that you provide us information on three issues:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1-Are you aware of any relative/relation having the same surname, whose last known contact address was Brussels Belgium?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2-Are you aware of any investment of considerable value made by such a person at the HSBC Bank Plc.?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3-Can you establish beyond reasonable doubt your eligibility to assume status of next of kin to the deceased?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It is pertinent that you inform us ASAP whether or not you are familiar with this personality that we may put an end to this communication with you and our inquiries surrounding this personality.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]You must appreciate that we are constrained from providing you with more detailed information at this point. Please respond back to my private and direct email address;(removed for security) as soon as possible to afford us the opportunity to close this investigation.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Thank you for accommodating our enquiry.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Yours sincerely,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ms. **************[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]***** Consulting[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]For: HSBC Private Clients.[/FONT]

HalfPint

I'd be very wary of this...any company trying to trace someone will write to you via snail mail and not via email.

I'd say it's a scam and to ignore it. I'm sure someone with more technie know how will be along shortly with more info or to confirm this.

Cheers.

Laura

Fran

They don't appear to know your name... "Dear Sir/Madam"; they want you to confirm details which banks never do; it has suspect English

whether or not you are familiar with this personality that we may put an end to this communication with you and our inquiries surrounding this personality.

....so alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear. A bank would never contact you like this as HalfPint says. DELETE!!!

davetrousers

What does the full header for this email look like?

kittyscarlett

It reeks of scam and BS. And that's not techie know how, thats just plain common sense. But I would print it out and take it to your nearest HSBC branch to show them someone is taking their name in vain

trcooke

I have had a number of e-mails similar to this in the past and when I've looked in the e-mail header to find out where the mail really came from I found that it didn't come from where it tried to make you think it came from. In your case this certainly won't have come from HSBC.

This is what is called 'phishing'. An attempt to get you to provide personal details using the possibility of receiving an inheritance as the carrot.

In summary, what this e-mail really says is:

Dear random person,

I'm pretending to be a reputable bank and would like you to provide me with enough personal information for me to assume your identity and apply for as many credit cards and loans as I can and then run off with the cash before you realise what's happened.

Cheers
Mr S Windle

Coveredinbees!!!!

If you think it's a scam then it's probably a scam. Ring the HSBC and ask them if they know anything about it.

superjaggybunnet

How would the bank know your email address?

It is a scam for sure!

SJames_3

http://www.scamdex.com/MHON/P/msg00028.php

Reggie_Rebel

It's a scam

phatbear

This looks like a variation of the nigerian 419 scam.

The scam goes thus:


You email back because you think you are on to an unexpected windfall, to allow the bank to process your claim you will need to provide:

Copies of birth certificates, passport etc to prove who you are, bad move as such details can then be used to clone your identity.
or
they will ask for payment to allow them to process your payment, again once you have paid up they will do a runner.
or
they will ask for your bank details so they can desposit the money into your account, again allowing people, esp these kind of people, to have such details is not a good idea.


The other alternative is if you email back saying you have never heard of this person then you have confirmed that your email is active and this info will be added to a list of email addys which get sold on for constant spamming and scamming.

I wish I could tell you some stories about the fallout of some of these scams however suffice to say in one instance it was one of the few times in my career that ive seen a grown man fall on the floor and start crying because he had lost so much and thought he was going to gain so much.

In conclusion if someone knocked on your door and said "hello I want to give you £100" would you be suspicious.

In other words dont answer the email.

all the best

the bear

h