Jeffrey Epstein email scams rear their ugly head – Source: grahamcluley.com

The security boffins at Bitdefender have detected what they describe as a “resurgence” in email scams related to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein killed himself in a jail cell in August 2019, while facing charges of sex trafficking.

As well as being a repellent human being, Epstein was also very wealthy. And that appears to be the reason why someone is sending out unsolicited emails posing as his personal financial advisor.

If the email is to be believed (it isn’t to be believed), the person sending you the email is hoping to share Epstein’s estate of $35.2 million with you, fifty-fifty.

Hello

I am [REDACTED] an Asian investment manager and personal financial adviser to late Mr. Jeffrey Epstein of USA who committed suicide while in detention. This message is regarding his estate ($35.2m) which is presently in a bank somewhere. I want to front you as the Next-of-Kin to the deceased since he died without leaving a WILL. At the successful completion of my proposal, the bank will release the funds and have it transferred into your bank account. We are going to share the ($35.2m) on 50:50% formula. I will give you details concerning the funds once you indicate interest to proceed with me. I look forward to your urgent response.

Sound too good to be true? Well, of course it is.

This is just the same advance fee fraud scam that many internet users will have encountered many times before – claiming that a fortune is coming your way, if you’re prepared to pay an “advance fee” to handle administration costs.

Sometimes the scammer will ask you to send through sensitive personal information (such as identity documents) to assist with the “paperwork”, other times they might ask you to wire over money in advance to cut through the red tape of bureaucracy… the point is, that you’re going to end up losing out.

And you’re not going to ever have any of the millions the scammer keeps promising showing up in your bank account.

Sorry to break it to you, but you haven’t stumbled across a windfall, you aren’t the long lost relative of a Nigerian prince, you haven’t won millions in a Google lottery.

My advice is to just throw any scam emails like this in your recycle bin. Even if you’re only intending to pretend to go along with it for a laugh, I wouldn’t bother.

And certainly never ever allow yourself to be duped into wiring money to someone who emails you like this out of the blue. And don’t make the mistake one man and his daughter made, where they travelled to South Africa believing they would pick up their lottery winnings and ended up being kidnapped.

Stay safe folks.