RCMP, FBI AND U.S. SECRET SERVICE
CRUMPLE "NIGERIAN LETTER SCAM"
(Toronto) - The Royal Canadian
Mounted Police Toronto West
Detachment Commercial Crime Section
announced yesterday the
results of a three year investigation that has
successfully dis-
mantled a highly sophisticated international criminal
organiza-
tion operating in the Greater Toronto Area and
victimizing
people around the world.
This alleged criminal group
has been perpetrating a large scale
international fraud known as the
West African-based Organized
Advance Fee Fraud or more commonly known
as the "Nigerian letter
scam". The RCMP alleges that this criminal
group is part of a
larger criminal organization based in Nigeria and
that this
group has been perpetrating this scam for over 8 years in
the
Greater Toronto Area.
To date, the RCMP has identified over
300 victims from around
the world. Most victims are from the United
States, although
victims have been identified in Europe and Asia.
Individual
losses range from US $52,000 to over US $5
million.
In 1998, the Commercial Crime Section of the RCMP Toronto
West
Detachment received a complaint from a victim of an Advance
Fee
Fraud who was asked to travel to Toronto. While
investigating
this complaint, common elements surfaced concerning
several
ongoing investigations in both Canada by the RCMP and in
the
United States by the FBI and the US Secret Service. The RCMP
and
the FBI immediately began a co-operative investigation
under
Canadian Eagle in association with the US Secret Service.
Can-
adian Eagle is a US/Canadian law enforcement partnership
between
the RCMP and the FBI mandated to investigate organized
crime
groups that are conducting fraudulent cross-border
telemarketing
activity.
Arrested and charged with conspiracy to
commit fraud; fraud
against the general public; and laundering the
proceeds of crime
were Wenceslaus Utomi, 47, of Richmond Hill, Ontario;
Ainsley
Anthony Drakes, 34, of Toronto, Ontario; and Richard
Brewster,
33, of Toronto, Ontario. |
