My $95 Million Inheritance — NOT!

The Bottom Line: If it seems to good to be true it probably is.

Woot!  Woot!  This is better than winning the lottery!  This morning I was informed via email from “Mrs Linda Nora” that she is going to bequeath me the sum of $95 Million United States Dollars!  I might have to change the name of this website to “Retired in Style!”

Wait a second — I don’t now anyone by that name living in England.  Hmmm…  How did she find me?  Let’s see:

"I am married to Mr Samuel Collins who worked with british embassy
in ABIDJAN IVORY COAST for nine years before he died in the plane
crash On 31st of July 2000 with other passengers aboard as you can
confirm it yourself through this web site. (url redacted)

Brethren, it is in this regard that I write to you, having sourced
your address from a database in my late husband's internet dozier
after fervent prayers."

Hmmm…  I’m beginning to see some flaws in this story.  You see, the email address this notice was sent to didn’t exist in 2000.  Could it be that this is some sort of a scam?!?

OK, enough of the sarcasm — the email I received this morning is yet another version of a very common scam involving advance-fee fraud.  Almost unbelievably, this scam has successfully defrauded people like you and I out of Billions (yes, that is a “B”) of dollars collectively over many years.  Commonly called 419 Fraud or Nigerian Bank Scam, you can read all about it here:

• advance-fee fraud
• Secret Service 419 Alert
• FTC Consumer Alert

It is difficult enough to become financially free without people trying to steal from you.  If you receive an email like this please delete it right away. It isn’t even worth wasting your time to read it unless you are starved for some good fiction!

A great way to stay grounded whenever you are solicited by someone else is to to apply what I call the “Would I do this?” test.  Try it yourself — Would you give $95 million to a complete stranger?  Neither would anyone else.

So much for Retired in Style…