‘Nigerian prince’ email scammer arrested in Slidell

[Linville]

‘Nigerian prince’ email scammer arrested in Slidell., LA.
Posted 10:25 AM, December 29, 2017, by [color=var(--body-font-color)]WGNO Web Desk[/color]


[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65098)][/color]
[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65098)]Michael Neu[/color]

SLIDELL – A 67-year-old Slidell man who served as a go-between for an international team of scammers running a “Nigerian prince” email scheme has been arrested after an 18-month investigation.

Michael Neu, who is neither Nigerian nor a prince, has been charged with 269 counts of wire fraud and money laundering.

Neu helped shuttle fraudulently obtained money to his co-conspirators, some of whom actually do live in Nigeria, according to the Slidell Police Department.

The ubiquitous scheme, which begins when an email is sent to an unsuspecting recipient the scammers claim has been named as the beneficiary in a will, is designed to collect personal information that is then used to steal money and identities online.

The scheme nets millions of dollars each year, according to the SPD, and is difficult to track since many of the participants operate outside of the United States.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal said. “Never give out personal information over the phone, through e-mail, cash checks for other individuals, or wire large amounts of money to someone you don’t know. 99.9 percent of the time, it’s a scam.”
Other versions of the scam involve people claiming to represent law enforcement agencies or utility companies.

To avoid identity theft scams like this, always ask for a callback number and verify the identity of the person attempting to collect the information, according to the SPD.

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I actually read about a local to me person who fell for this and sent money.

rolls eyes.

[Furyan66]

Unfortunately I get a couple of emails a month from places like Nigeria and other African nations telling you that you re the "soul Inheritor" of 25 million ore something all you have to do is "pay the transfer fee" or some similar B.S.

I know an elderly lady that was taken for over 6 figures on one of these scams.

One guy down and probably 10 more to take his place..

Best said above

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal said. “Never give out personal information over the phone, through e-mail, cash checks for other individuals, or wire large amounts of money to someone you don’t know. 99.9 percent of the time, it’s a scam.”

Peace All and be carefull

Fury

[Blockhead59]

Hahaha! This a**ho** should do major time for scamming older folks. God, I hate that. They work their whole lives, have/save some some cash and then some sc**b** steals it. And people ask why'd these older people go along with it? Who cares. They are victims. 

More advice/awareness of scammers is needed; PSAs would help. And all of us with older relatives should remind them of what Chief Fandal  and Fury said, never give out personal information. Older folks need this information, also a reality check on whom to trust on the phone, and some guidance about how technology can be used against them. And plenty of this info, and repeatedly. We can all inform someone.  

Sorry for cursing, but this makes me so mad!! 

Thanks for sharing Linville! And Happy New Year! 

[Charon]

Some of us whom are older or, in the alternative, just plain old, are now experiencing PTSD symptoms that no one had a clue about but for military service. Pain, and PtSD are why i get disability cuz doctors cannot just diagnose one disease for me. Aint i the lucky girl!

That is not how he looked in the picture he sent me. He was all royaled up and surrounded by jewels and whatever rich people now possess. Been too long for me to recall.

Every day, I get some dim witted bulb telling me that they are the US president. then his VP. the wife. I get about four a day. Because those helper helperton sites now post our ages. But, it is my money and, as long as i create an acct to receive same (fraudulent acct. plus violation of ten thousand dollar patriot act,) a loverly gentleman like pictured above is gonna send me millions. Millions.

The dumbest are the ones whom tell me they are the president of the US. And they say it in a very stilted fashion. Not the way americans talk. One can see how badly the grammar is. Further, I think if my president is trying to wisk a few million to me now, he would twitter to my account that he is about to do so. Did not happen.

Off to get ready. Probably back on tonight. Smart phones frighten me since the strokes. I don't want a stinkin phone to have a higher IQ than i. But, in case of emergency, to wit: stupid former employer hacking my computer so i have to reformatt daily, I am hopeful a pixel 2 will get me thru whilst i fix my computer. Again.

Damn Bar Association in neither NY nor CA would even look into the 4000 letters he sent me to move to CA under employment contract. It was a good job and we could have been the Kings of Employment law.

So, in light of recent troubles, I was so hoping my nigerian prince was acoming to save me. On a white horse and all.

Oh, when u get outta da jail, u can write me again My Prince. I shall await your return. When pigs fly.