PHILADELPHIA – By now, you may have heard from a wealthy foreigner or lottery winner or someone in legal trouble who needs help transferring large sums of currency out of their country and is willing to let you keep a percentage if you cash a check or money order for them and wire them the rest. It’s a classic foreign money scam, and it does exist.
Recently, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers saw this scam in person when they seized nearly $4 million in counterfeit bank checks and money orders that arrived in air cargo to Philadelphia.
in fake bank checks from Nigeria.
CBP officers examined a parcel that arrived October 26 from Nigeria through Germany and discovered 49 counterfeit bank checks that totaled $3,735,707.91. Each check was concealed inside a white envelope with a cover letter that stated “Deposit Acceleration Memorandum.” During the next week, CBP officers verified with various Philadelphia-area banks that the checks were counterfeit and seized them November 7. The shipment was destined to an address in Kingston, N.Y.
On November 1, CBP officers inspected a parcel that arrived from Nigeria through Germany and discovered 249 money orders, each written for $950. Officers confirmed the money orders to be counterfeit and seized them November 6. The shipment was destined to an address in River Grove, Illinois.
Counterfeit money orders and bank checks are used in foreign money scams, which are also known as 419 scams or Advance Fee Fraud schemes.
“These counterfeit monetary instruments illustrate the depths that transnational criminal organizations will stoop to swindle hard-working American citizens out of their life-savings,” said Casey Durst, CBP's Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. “Customs and Border Protection officers remain committed to intercepting all potential threats at our nation’s borders, including these transnational money scams that victimize American consumers.”
Visit the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Scam Alerts website to learn how to detect and protect yourself against advance fee and other fraud schemes, or to file a complaint to FTC if you are already a victim of a transnational fraud scheme.
CBP officers screen both international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality. Learn about what CBP accomplished during "A Typical Day" in 2017.
CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.
Learn more about CBP at CBP.gov.