Nigerian big wig spammers caught in the net

They probably weren't expecting this
By Nick Farrell: Wednesday 07 July 2004, 07:43

NIGERIAN AUTHORITIES have arrested more than 500 email scammers, including some high profile people, and seized more than $500 million worth of their assets.

The country’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) agency said it had more than 100 cases at various stages of prosecution.

According to AFP, amongst those court in the net were 419 previously "untouchable kingpins” including legislators, lawyers, politicians, bankers and public functionaries.

Those include an MP in the lower house of parliament, Maurice Ibekwe, who died recently in prison custody while awaiting trial.

On June 3, Nigeria said that it planned to launch software that would help catch fraudsters who send scam letters via email and it was unclear if this was responsible for the high numbers of arrests.

The amount of scam spam which comes from Nigeria does seem to be dropping. Much of the current clutch seems to coming from Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Sierria Leone.

However it is clear that pretty soon we will start getting spam which says: "Please help us I got your contact from where i was searching a good penpal for a possible transaction. My father Dr. Lamine Camara, was the managing director of Rainbow Gold and Diamond Mine company when he was suddenly arrested and charged with sending spam emails by the Nigerian authorities. All his properties were totally taken by the government. However, I managed to escape with with a very important document (DEPOSIT CERTIFICATE)(US$10.5m)Ten million Five hundred thousand U.S Dollars deposited by my father in a bank ) which I am the next of kin. I am saddled with the problem of securing a trust worthy foriegn personality to help me transfer the money over to his country and into his possession pending my arrival to meet with him…?"

Well it might work.

Fin. µ

© 2004 Breakthrough Publishing Ltd.

The Inquirer

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=17060