Groveland Twp. – Thanks to the Internet, international boundaries aren’t stopping Nigerian criminals from scamming local residents.
‘Very common fraud lately? is written in large red letters across the top of a Michigan State Police report on file at the Groveland post.
The report details how a scam traced back to Lagos, Nigeria attempted to illegally obtain $8,000 from a Grand Blanc area man, who was referred by local police to the state police post.
The man had advertised an antique vehicle on an Internet bulletin board for $12,000. After several ‘mysterious? e-mail letters sent on Fastermail.com and Yahoo.com addresses, the seller received a package via FedEx International Air containing a Bank of America cashier’s check for $20,000.
According to the police report, the seller was instructed to transfer the leftover $8,000 via a Money Gram to a third-party agent who would pick up and transport the vehicle.
The seller, who was suspicious of the procedure, told police he contacted Bank of America and learned the check was counterfeit.
Despite e-mail threats of international legal action for not following instructions, the seller refused to cooperate.
Groveland troopers contacted the United State Secret Service. According to the police report, the Secret Service officials are no longer investigating such complaints, have closed the Lagos, Nigeria field office due to an overwhelming number of cases and lack of cooperation on the part of Nigerian law enforcement, and suggested referring the seller to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
While the seller wasn’t taken in, it’s become a common scam, says Sgt. Dave Weigand of the Groveland post.
‘In the last few months we’ve got tons of ’em,? he said. ‘It’s a common scam happening over the Internet. A lot of times, for whatever reason, the proposed buyer is from Nigeria.?
The Internet Fraud Complaint Center, a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center, can be accessed at http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp.