Belle Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Associated Press Thursday October 30, 2003 Police in Sydney today arrested an Australian man suspected of being part of a global, multimillion-dollar scam that dupes victims into believing they can claim some of the foreign assets of the Nigerian president. Hundreds of people in Australia and in countries including Malaysia, Japan, Norway, Greece, Indonesia and England have fallen prey to the scam, police said. The scammers send letters and emails asking people to help the Nigerian president recover funds that have long been deposited in foreign bank accounts, saying they will be financially rewarded if they help cover the costs of recouping the money. Jennifer Thommeny, commander of Australia's assets confiscation unit, said that victims "in many cases have been conned into handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars". Police believe today's arrest was the first in which an Australian was implicated in the fraud. The man was not immediately charged and police did not release his identity. Detectives from the state crime command assets confiscation unit arrested the man after searching a property in the central west of New South Wales state. They also raided two homes in Sydney's south-west, seizing a number of computers and documents. Cmdr Thommeny said the arrest was the result of a four-month investigation into a syndicate that also carried out other frauds, including lottery scams. "West African-type frauds such as lottery scams and 'business investment opportunities', have netted millions of dollars from thousands of unwitting victims around the world," Cmdr Thommeny said. "Traditionally police have found it difficult to apprehend offenders who carry out these frauds because victims usually live overseas and in most cases are too embarrassed to come forward," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamo Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 I've had loads of these scam e-mails, which are so obviously a con that I find it amazing anyone could fall for it. It appears there are no bounds to human greed and stupidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Ruscoe Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 You might be interested in this website: http://www.africanscam.co.uk Especially this page: http://www.craigmcateer.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mupesa.htm ...which shows pictures of one of the scammers at the airport! Those guys must've been crazy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cycleracer Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 I got sick of recieving them and in the end did'nt bother to look at them so i just deleted them. Only today i won 32,000k and a new car if i sent off the document in a pre-paid envelope to the Netherlands. The form asked me to confirm my name and address in case it got into the wrong hands, then followed on to a direct debit sheet. Of course this went streight into file 13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted November 1, 2003 Share Posted November 1, 2003 removed by spook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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