'UBS Investment' Email Scam

The 'UBS Investment' email scam is a new take on one of the classic email schemes – it tries to trick the recipients into believing that they can receive millions of dollars or, in the case of the 'UBS Investment' email scam, millions of British Pounds. The con artists impersonate an employee of the UBS Investment Bank, and they state that they have discovered a bank account that has been abandoned and contains $15 million GBP (Great British Pound). They go on by saying that the account belongs to a deceased person, who does not have any heirs – hence why the money has not been taken by anyone so far. The employee then proceeds to tell you that they have prepared all documents to declare you as the 'next of kin' of the deceased account holder, and you will receive the $15 million in your bank account. They also tell you that due to the size and dangers of the operation, they want to split the money by giving you 40% of the sum, while the rest goes for them.

To fulfill the transfer, the tricksters ask you to provide them with your full name, mobile number, contact address and date of birth. However, if you try to supply them with the information they demand, they will ask you to send them some money to cover a made-up fee – they also may tell you that you cannot receive the funds unless the fee is covered immediately. The fraudsters hope to find a naïve and greedy person who will not see the raised flags and send the money they are being asked for immediately. Needless to say, if you end up falling for the 'UBS Investment' email scam, you will never hear from the fake bank employee again.

This is a very popular tactic, and, sadly, they are still effective. If you ever receive an email telling you that you can get millions by paying just a few hundred dollars, then you can rest assured that this is a hoax and you should not send any money.