http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Nigerian-scams-victims-ignore-warnings/2007/05/14/1178995050961.html

Queensland victims had lost at least $18 million through the scams, he said.

"The biggest losses were incurred in the Nigerian investment scams, and only about 24 per cent of the people we contacted and told they were participating in this scam believed us," Supt Hay told reporters in Brisbane.

"So, 76 per cent continued to send millions of dollars after we told them they were participating in a scam."

Many of the victims identified by Echo Track were educated, with those involved including doctors, lawyers, engineers and professors.

The Queensland figures were estimated to be one-fifth of the national loss to such scams.

None of the victims had received any money in return.

Many had attempted suicide, lost their wealth, lost friends, become estranged from their family, deceived partners, suffered divorce, or committed criminal offences to obtain more money, police said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Qld-family-loses-more-than-13m-in-scam/2007/06/16/1181414591511.html

A Queensland family has been fleeced of more than $1.3 million in an elaborate variation of a scam that persuades people to part with large sums of money so they can retrieve an overseas inheritance, police say.

During the scam, which lost the Baker family between $1.3 million and $1.5 million since early 2005, Mr Baker travelled to Europe three times, where he was shown an elaborate ruse of fake government officialdom in Spain, Italy and Holland and was taken to a Spanish bank and shown a case of United States currency that was supposedly the inheritance.

"The professionalism of it is just unbelievable, the paperwork, the officials, going to government departments, you would think if they were straight out scammers they wouldn't have access to government officials and places and the paperwork with all the stamps," Mr Baker told ABC Radio.

Mr Baker came forward to police after viewing a current affairs' segment on Nigerian-style scams last month.

Police said the scam in which the Baker family lost money was an especially elaborate version of the Nigerian-style scam, which can originate from any part of the world.

"We can only theorise how they came to know (the woman) and I would suggest it would be from online chat rooms where she thinks she knows who she's talking to, and people say a lot of things that they wouldn't tell others," Detective Acting Superintendent Brian Hay of the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group said.

"I'd say they built up a profile and specifically targeted that person.

"(This is a) very elaborate, well-resourced and well-organised scam."

The Baker family should feel no shame, Det A/Supt Hay said.

"They saw an opportunity, it (seemed) legitimate, they did a lot of research, a lot of the names of the companies and businesses all panned out to be legitimate with their cursory inquires."

Anyone who is asked to send money overseas for an investment or inheritance retrieval should contact the country's consulate in Australia first, he said.

One man has been arrested in Amsterdam following Mr Baker's complaint.

Ausnat wrote on Jun 16^th, 2007 at 4:51pm:



sure do..saw an 'expose' about a similair scheme  on 60 seconds going back a few weeks ago..

how stupid can they be?

you dont get nothing for nothing.

Classic Liberal wrote on Jun 16^th, 2007 at 5:55pm:


lol..yes you can pender..and a few other things.