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Sophos: Nigerian Scamster Taken Down
Chris Crum
Staff Writer
2006-08-07
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
An alleged "ringleader" in a huge two million dollar Nigerian email scam was arrested in Lagos, Nigeria according to Police in Amsterdam, Sophos reports.
Why does this news come from Amsterdam? That's because 12 Nigerians who were based out of the Netherlands were already arrested this year. Sohpos says there are over 50 other suspects awaiting trial on similar charges in Lagos. The company reports:"Millions of computer users around the world see these bogus emails in their inboxes every day, claiming to offer fortunes in the form of fake lottery wins or inheritances to the unwary," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "These emails aren't sent for fun - they really do work, and people are falling for the confidence trick all the time and ending up with their bank accounts raided. The con trick, known as a 419 scam, is big business and computer crime authorities around the world need to work in co-ordination to break the gangs behind them."
419 scams are named after the relevant section of the Nigerian penal code where many of the scams originated and are unsolicited emails where the author offers a large amount of money. Once a victim has been drawn in, requests are made from the fraudster for private information which may lead to requests for money, stolen identities, and financial theft. It is good at least to hear that some action is being taken against these types of scams, although I still can't believe people are really falling for them.
Tag: email scam
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About the Author:
Chris Crum is a staff writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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