Three nabbed for '419 letter scam'
2001-10-06 22:14
Johannesburg - Three people were arrested in Stellenbosch and Kempton Park on Friday in connection with a fraudulent business transaction believed to be a Nigerian 419 scam, police said.
Two of the arrested - a 41-year-old attorney from Stellenbosch
and a 52-year-old Australian man who had temporary residency in
South Africa - were arrested in Stellenbosch, while the third, a
58-year-old Jordanian man, was arrested in Kempton Park, Senior
Superintendent Martin Aylward said.
The arrests followed a crime intelligence driven operation by
members of the Crime Intelligence Gathering Head Office, the
Johannesburg Commercial Branch and members from the Pretoria
Intervention Unit.
The operation was launched after a European citizen was
approached and asked to assist in transferring $65 million from an account in Spain to South Africa.
Potential victims are usually requested to pay a substantial
amount, into a trust account, in order to cover banking costs. In
return the victims are promised returns of more than 100 percent of what is deposited.
These profits are, however, never paid as the suspects simply disappear with the deposited money.
The three suspects are expected to appear in the court soon.
Any person who has received these scam letters or have been the victim of such a fraud or have any information that could assist can contact Superintendent SC Schambriel on 012-339-1203.
- SAPA