FTC: Needs Your Help with Indicted Scammers

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants your help with an indictment of six Nigerian nationals who have been extradited to Mississippi to face a nine-count federal indictment for various internet frauds including conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, identity theft, and money laundering.

The frauds were committed by romance and work-at-home scam operations against U.S. citizens. For example, the scammers would carry out so-called romantic relationships in which they would try to get their victims to re-ship merchandise bought with stolen credit cards, deposit counterfeit checks, and send money to the defendants via wiring money or sending prepaid debit cards.

The FTC has a list of aliases and email addresses that the defendants allegedly used to carry out their scams. The FTC would like the help of anyone who have potentially been victimized by the scammers to look over the list. If they recognize names or email addresses, the FTC requests that they contact the Department of Justice. Their evidence/testimony can help greatly in the prosecution of the defendants.

To see the names and email addresses go to http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/six-nigerian-nationals-extradited-south-africa-mississippi-face-fraud-charges.

If you believe that you may have been a victim of criminal fraud committed by any of the defendants, please go to http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/scams and complete the questionnaire using the password “scams.”

Note: We frequently see appeals from local law enforcement for information about suspects. We rarely hear about national law enforcement agencies looking for help with scam prosecutions. If you have been a victim of a romance or work-at-home scam, or know of someone who was a victim, you can help the Department of Justice bring these alleged scammers to justice.

 

Federal Trade Commission:

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/its-criminal