Based on your financial expertise, provide your response or viewpoint on the given financial question or topic. The response format is open.

How do I protect myself from a scam if I want to help a relative?
What can I do to help him out, but at the same time protect myself from any potential scams? Find out why he can't do this himself.  Whether your relative is being sincere or not, if he owns both accounts then he should be able to transfer money between them by himself.  If you can find a way to solve that issue without involving your bank account, so much the better. Don't settle for "something about authorized payees and expired cards."  Get details, write them down.  If possible, get documents.  Then go to a bank or financial adviser you can trust and run those details by them to see what they have to say.  Even if there's no scam, if what he's trying to do is illegal (even if he doesn't realize it himself) then you want to know before you get involved.  You say you're willing to deal with "other issues" separately, but keep in mind that, even if there's no external scam here, those "other issues" could include hefty fees, censures on your own account, or jail time. Ask yourself: Does it make sense that this relative has an account overseas?  I don't have any overseas accounts, because I don't do business in other countries.  Is your relative a dual-citizen?  Does he travel a lot?  What country is the overseas account in?  How long has he had this account?  What bank is it with?  Where the money is going is just as important as how it gets there (ie: through your account.)  Arguably more so. Keep in mind that many scammers tell their marks not to share what's going on with anyone else.  (Because doing so increases the odds of someone telling them to snap out of it.)  It's entirely possible he's being scammed himself and just not telling you the whole story because the 419er is telling him to keep it quiet.  (Check out that link for more details on common scams that your relative may be unwittingly part of, btw.) Get as many details as possible about what he's doing and why.  If he's communicating with anyone else regarding this transfer, find out who.  If there are emails, ask his permission to read them and watch for anything suspicious (ie: people who can't spell their own name consistently, constant pressure to act quickly, etc.)