Fbi Arrests 281 People Suspected Of Sending "nigerian Letters"

[✨ Megiddo]

As part of a coordinated international operation, the FBI arrested 281 people suspected of major email fraud and money laundering. Most of the suspects (167) were arrested in Nigeria, 74 in the United States, 18 in Turkey, 15 in Ghana, and the rest in Italy, France, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

Arrestees are suspected of fraud called “Nigerian letters.” This type of fraud arose even before the era of the Internet and gained immense popularity with the advent of email. A letter is sent to the victim with a proposal to facilitate the transfer of a large sum of money for a fee. Naturally, in fact, there is no deal, and the victim who has fallen for the bait is gradually being lured with ever-increasing amounts (for “bribes”, “fees”, etc.).

As part of a four-month law enforcement operation, reWired was arrested for $ 3.7 million. Suspects allegedly implicated in BEC fraud were also arrested. This type of fraud involves spoofing or compromising the email of the general or financial director of the company and sending letters on his behalf with the request to transfer money to the specified account.

According to the FBI, from June 2016 to July 2019, the Internet Crime Complaints Center (IC3) received more than 166 thousand e-mail fraud reports that caused damage worth more than $ 26 billion. Complaints came from US citizens and foreigners alike.