Troopers at the Michigan State Police (MSP) Richmond Post wish to make the public aware of a common e-mail scam that has recently re-emerged in Southeast Michigan.  The scam involves e-mails threatening the recipient's life if he or she does not contact a supposed "hit man" with banking information.

The e-mails state that the "hit man" was contacted by an associate of the recipient and asked to assassinate him or her.  The e-mails continue, stating that the "hit man" does not want to kill the recipient and would be willing to spare his or her life for a large sum of money.  The recipient is then asked to provide banking and personal information.

The FBI first warned of this scam in 2006, and early 2007. The FBI theorizes that this scam originates overseas. 

While all threats should be taken seriously, the MSP urges people to first contact law enforcement for investigation prior to replying or sending their banking information. All persons should be aware that providing any personal information in response to an unsolicited e-mail can compromise their identity, which increases the risk of identify theft and other financial issues.

Recipients of similar e-mails are also asked to contact the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.