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Nigerian jailed for e-mail scam |
axxxr
Joined: Mar 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Londinium
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Peter Okoeguale is led from court.
A Nigerian has been jailed for his part in a huge international e-mail fraud.
Peter Okoeguale, 33, was jailed for 20 months for his part in the e-mail fraud, also known as the Nigerian 419 scam.
Caernarfon Crown Court heard victims are promised a share of cash if they help with the movement of millions of dollars out of Africa.
But they are then duped into handing over cash themselves to overcome an unforeseen difficulty.
The prosecution said when Okoeguale was arrested he had floppy disks which could scan websites for e-mail addresses and for sending "spam" messages.
He pleaded guilty to going equipped to cheat and is the first person to be prosecuted in north Wales for advance fee fraud.
Given the gravity of this offence it's detrimental to the welfare of the UK that you should remain here
Judge John Rogers QC
Okoeguale was arrested as he was about to board a ferry from Holyhead to the Irish Republic, where he has a wife and son.
The prosecution said he had fake documents, one of which was headed 'Nigerian Police Force Contract Investigation Section' and urged the recipient to forward the details of any contact by corrupt government officials.
'Gullible'
Okoeguale claimed he had been delivering the items to someone else.
Judge John Rogers QC recommended his deportation at the end of the sentence.
He told him: "You had in your possession a substantial amount of equipment and carefully drafted fraudulent documents with the intention that they should be used to fool gullible people not only in this country but wherever you chose to communicate with them.
"This is international fraud. Only a period of imprisonment is appropriate.
"In addition I'm quite satisfied that given the gravity of this offence it's detrimental to the welfare of the UK that you should remain here."
'Innocent people'
North Wales Police said that discs found on Okoeguale contained thousands of e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of companies and individuals from Scotland, the USA, the Middle East, and the Far East.
Using the documents officers traced 11 victims, including one in Scotland who lost up to £20,000, and a retired 72-year-old American businessman who lost $46,500.
Detective Constable Dave Morris, from the North Wales Police fraud squad, said: "The internet has made it much easier for individuals to operate.
"The ease with which e-mail addresses can be obtained and used for illegal purposes has increased the chances of innocent people being subjected to this offence."
He added: "We would urge the public to delete any communications, whether it be e-mail or fax, they may receive purporting to come from Nigerian Government Ministers or other organisations offering large sums of money."
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masseur
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney, London
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you beat me to it! 
I was gonna post that one on the "I'm Rich!!! (Again)" thread
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axxxr
Joined: Mar 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Londinium
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Sorry mate did'nt realise u were gonna post that to!!..
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axxxr
Joined: Mar 21, 2003
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From: Londinium
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Software To Catch Nigerian 419 Scammers
If you've ever received an email from Nigeria asking for a small sum of money in order to get millions, you know what the 419 scam is. (Or you're still waiting for a lot of money that hasn't quite shown up yet.) The '419' comes from the Nigerian criminal code section against fraud, and to prevent the scams, Nigeria is looking into using software to help track down the scammers by scanning emails for keywords. This brings up plenty of privacy issues over who determines which keywords are used and what is done with the flagged emails. And while this proposal is probably better than passing a completely new law that would probably be ineffective, the enforcement against this scam may be a bit late as scammers have modified their scams and moved to places other than Nigeria. So scams are here to stay, and although one would hope that public education could take away the incentives for scammers, there's a sucker born every minute.
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masseur
Joined: Jan 03, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Sydney, London
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I think I have had about 419 of those emails
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axxxr
Joined: Mar 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Londinium
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I had a few but not that many 
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Dj Boyi
Joined: Oct 05, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Liberty City
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At last! They got the tw@t! :-D But im sure there is more of em,he'll only actually do 10 months if he's a good boy tho. Jail the spammers!
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axxxr
Joined: Mar 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Londinium
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The Nigerian government has rounded up more than 500 suspected "Nigerian scammers".
Nigeria's agency against economic and financial crime said Monday that it had detained more than 500 suspects and seized property worth more than $US500 million from suspected fraudsters.
"Presently we have over 500 suspects in custody, seized assets and recovered properties worth over $US500 million with over 100 cases at various stages of prosecution," agency chairman Nuhu Ribadu told a seminar.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) was set up by President Olusegun Obasanjo to fight economic and financial crime, especially fraudsters who operate email and mail scams known as 419 advance fee fraud -- named after the relevant section of the Nigerian criminal code.
The EFCC had demonstrated its resolve and commitment by arresting many previously "untouchable 419 kingpins", said Ribadu, a former senior police intelligence officer.
Although the identities of those in EFCC custody are not formally revealed, observers noted that they included legislators, lawyers, politicians, bankers and public functionaries.
A legislator in the lower house of parliament, Maurice Ibekwe, arrested and charged with alleged financial crime, died recently in prison custody.
Another suspect, lawyer Fred Ajudua, is currently in detention for an alleged financial crime offence.
On June 3 in Maputo, Nigeria said that it planned to launch software that would help catch fraudsters who send scam letters via email.
The new technology, which would identify key words used in such letters, is likely to be made available to Internet service providers and government departments, Mustafa Bello, executive secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, told a meeting on the sidelines of Africa's World Economic Forum.
The email scams, often from "the widow of an African dictator" or a "bank offcial", promise untold wealth in return for helping to transfer millions of dollars out of Africa. Many originate in Nigeria.
Victims of the scam have lost tens of thousands of dollars, and in some cases been attacked and robbed.
They frequently fail to report their losses to the police out of shame and because they had been planning to act illegally.
South African Interpol spokeswoman Mary Martins-Engelbrecht told AFP last year that in South Africa alone some 60 cases of advance fee fraud (or 419) were reported every day.
The message from the "widow" or the "official" will ask for a name, address, bank details, passport and telephone numbers and a promise that in exchange, a major cut from the deal will be received.
The cash never materialises and the scammer eventually disappears into thin air. In some cases, victims are lured into a trap, kidnapped and held hostage for ransom.
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Jim
Joined: Jan 20, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Belgium
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They should burn into Hell, it cost millions to ISP's for that sort of sh*t and we have to pay for this 
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*Jojo*
Joined: Oct 15, 2003
Posts: > 500
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Good for him! I think that will lessen or not eradicate all the unwanted(fraudulent) mails coming Nigeria!  I hope after rendering his sentence in jail, the US Post Office will get his services as a mailman and will be in charge in transporting mails from the US soil to Nigeria . . . . by "F O O T" !  | |
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Posted: 2004-04-05 18:01
