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Head of 419 scam unit in court
20/01/2003 18:27 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The former head of the police unit which was investigating so-called 419 scams, appeared in the Johannesburg Regional Court on Monday on a corruption charge.
Superintendent Johnny Llewellyn Smith's case was postponed to April 23 and 24 for trial.
The charge against Smith (44), relate to R5 000 he was given in travelling expenses in 1998.
Investigations into the 419 scams have since been taken over by the SA Police Service's Organised Crime Unit.
The "419" scams are named after the section of the Nigerian criminal code dealing with fraud and many of the original scams were devised by Nigerian-based syndicates.
In such scams, fraudsters generally circulate faxes or e-mails, offering investors high returns on non-existent schemes. Often, the fraudsters pose as bank officials and ask their victims to provide bank details so that money can be transferred out of the country.
- SAPA
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