I post this here as I understand that expats are being targeted.

Today I received the attached letter in the post, which I made into a PDF. The envelope was franked with 0.68 euros. Sadly for the scammers who would have me believe they are based in Madrid, the postmark is Portugal.

A quick google shows that the firm - or a least a website supposedly from the firm of lawyers exists. Including the name of the sender. Though the sender suggests that I make contact with a gmx.com email and an ozu.es one, rather than the one shown on the website.

The website is owned by:
Lorenzo Gozalez (forlevels[at]yahoo.com)
calle mislata 11
madrid
madrid,35021
IN
Tel. +91.696565887

The address (and email as stated above) on the website is not the same as in the letter:
Diez Asociados & Abogandos
Address: CALLE VIRIATO 23 28010 MADRID ESPAÑAL
E-mail: info[at]diazas.com

There is a warning of just such a scam here:
http://belegal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=382

Read the PDF - it's a classic [I have obliterated my name and address and the name of "my relative" in the text, who had the same surname as I do]. Be warned these scams are getting ever cleverer.

Well if i had a relative that had 10 million i would probably know them. And if the letter starts with it being confidentian and all that then is obvious scam

http://www.20min.ch/news/schweiz/story/31250215

I don't know what is more shocking: that the guy was greedy enough to fall for it, or that the Swiss seem to entrust any sort of political power to such people.

Has this guy been living under a rock?
This is not a new scam.
The German wikipedia page
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/419_scam
mentions that the origins go back to the 16th century!
First mass-distribution was reached when faxes got popular in the 80s and 90s, though.

That said, when my mother started to go online I had to remind her constantly that only because some web-page claimed some "fact", it doesn't need to be actually true.
But hey - if somebody calls and claims my father's got a 12 million account with a bank in Togo that I and anybody else didn't know about, it must be true and rush there to pick up the money.
Because - what could possibly go wrong, right?

I received a beautifully handwritten latter from Russia containing actual glossy photographs of some poor bugger covered in burns, personally addressed to me, imploring me to help the young lad in the pictures.

Unfortunately, the entire screed was in German and I'd only been here a few months, so I tossed it in the bin.

Good on 'em for trying, though. Some effort had clearly gone into it.

They target Skype too. I was round a friends one day when Dr oggabalooga or something daft started the spiel with him. Having had a few beers he played the fellow along until Dr hugumywhatever realized we were taking the piss and ceased contact. Pity too it was rather funny.

People unfortunately do fall for that occasionally.

I have heard to 2 people falling for the flat for rent scam in Basel just last month too!

I received something like this by post a few years ago...but it was typewritten and with no signatures or seals. So, easy to figure out.

This one, however, looks more 'legit'.

Thanks for sharing.

I was wondering about this SVP politician case as well. My thought: I think the scam might actually work for one specific case: I know for pretty obvious reasons that my dad cannot possibly have 12.5 Mil CHF on some African bank... So who would actually fall for so a weird story? My thought: If you happen to have a dad that was in fact really rich and did hide huge amounts of money in developing countries elsewhere (and you are aware of it...), you would be more open to the idea and not find it strange to jump on a plane to Togo.

I don't understand why you assume this letter is part of a scam. It's signed by a Mr. Jose Antonio Lopez (Esq.).

A gentleman's word is as good as his bond, and all that.

Yeah, it's a bit like, "I saw it on TV / the Internet, so it must be true."

If all these scams work it's because they play on greed not gullibility.

Not in every case.

Some scams (like the one I described above) are intended to work upon the good will of the recipient.

Even some of the scams that offer the recipient money for their actions play more upon the recipient's moral sense than his desire for cash.

We got a similar scam the other day. Also claiming to be a spanish company but posted in Portugal. Same but different. Ours claimed we had won 10'000'000 on the lottery.

So be aware.

It is very common scam. I delete them at rate at least ten emails per month from my mail box. Most of them come from the UK though. I would just warn your senior household members who have access to the internet so that they won't fall for it.

Btw, I would change the title as it is bit misleading and targeted at poor Nagerians which may not have anything to do with it in this specific case.

This was NOT an email - but in the post.

This is sadly known as the Nigerian scam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance-fee_fraud

PS. The Nagerians never complain anyway...

Apologies accepted. Next time I will ask my local pastor from Abuja if he might know anything about it

Btw: Please know that as soon as they accpted my USD1,000,000 lottery award or inheritance from uncle's cocoa plantation I will invite you all to the big party.

Not tempted to play along for a bit AbFab? Could get some decent mileage out of this, like the 419 bater guys!

http://www.419eater.com/

It could be fun... if they didn't know where he lives.

Well SVP politicians are not exactly noted for high intelligence; I believe there was a study a couple of years ago about the number of qualified people in different political parties & SVP came out bottom.

Really? I would immediately agree if we talk about the people who vote them, I have seen some statistics on voters and their educational background. But I personally must unfortunately admit that I think their politicians are by far the most professional when it comes to PR or lobbying for a vote on a topic.

consider checking with sites like http://www.allscamsforum.com It is a large database of people reported scams. Also has a useful resources and scam awareness videos section. HTH.