By Dan Goodin in San Francisco for The
Register.
This story has been reproduced with permission.
Five of the suspects are from West Africa, including two
Nigerians, according to an article in the Daily Telegraph.
They stand accused of engaging in a 419 scheme in which they sent
emails promising a $90m business contract in return for him
advancing up front costs.
The alleged scam, which spanned at least four continents,
started about a year ago in Japan. After parting with considerable
sums of money to cover notary fees and other costs, the victim
finally figured out he was getting ripped off and notified
police.
Three of the suspects were arrested in an Amsterdam hotel where
they planned to meet the unnamed victim, to supposedly present him
with a suitcase of money. The remaining three were arrested in
nearby Abcoude.
The arrests are part of a program Dutch police initiated in
October to crack down on internet fraud. It has netted 74 arrests
and email addresses of targeted victims, according to the
Telegraph. We suspect the number of arrests is higher,
considering the arrest
of 111 suspected 419 scammers by Dutch police in June.
© The Register
2007
