2 Billion Dollars of Bad Checks Seized in Nigerian Scams

More good news in the crackdown against Internet fraudsters. 77 people were rounded up for advanced fee 419 scams. In the process, over 2 Billion in fake checks were seized.

From E-Week here:

An international crackdown on Internet financial scams this year has yielded more than $2.1 billion in seized fake checks and 77 arrests in the Netherlands, Nigeria and Canada, U.S. and others, authorities said on Wednesday.

The scammers, often West African organized crime groups, use ploys such as “spam” e-mail offering to pay recipients “processing fees” for depositing checks, which later turn out to be phony, and sending the ostensible proceeds to the scammer.

The crackdown netted 16 arrests in Nigeria, 60 in the Netherlands and one in Canada, said Greg Campbell, U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspector in charge of global security.

Three suspects from the Netherlands and Nigeria were extradited to New York and are awaiting trial, said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Alice Fischer. The United States is seeking to extradite five others.

I get at least five of these fraud spam emails per week from some pitiful widow or jailed dissident who needs little ol’ me to help them funnel millions of dollars and I get to keep a huge hunk for my troubles.

As I have noted in the past, others fall for this scam with bad consequences. Mary Winkler killed her husband over it and a town treasurer used city funds to pursue one of these scams.