[an error occurred while processing this directive]
BBC News
watch One-Minute World News
Languages
Last Updated: Thursday, 6 September 2007, 17:15 GMT 18:15 UK
Fraud ring uncovered in Nigeria
Dollars
Western businesses are often targeted by Nigerian fraudsters
A multi-million dollar fraud ring has been cracked in Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, say investigators from Nigeria, the United Kingdom and United States.

The crackdown on fraudsters using postal services saw 15,000 counterfeit cheques, written to the value of more than $4m (£2m), intercepted in a month.

Tonnes of mail were sifted to look for documents sent by "advance fee" conmen.

The discovery will pave the way for a major cross-border criminal investigation.

The so-called advance fee fraud involves sending people e-mails requesting their help in exporting a lump sum from Nigeria.

Victims are promised a share of the cash and asked for their bank details.

The anti-fraud police also found fraudulent identification papers and forged financial documents concealed in such a way as to prevent them from being picked up by security scanners.




SEE ALSO

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS
Has China's housing bubble burst?
How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire
Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit
'); } randomLiveStats(); //-->

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific