Federal prosecutors announced a 252-count indictment that lists 80 defendants accused of taking part in a massive online fraud scheme known as the Nigerian Prince scheme – and most of them are in fact Nigerian nationals. This is believed to be one of the largest cases of this kind in American history.
Officials say that so far, 14 people have been arrested in the US, and of those, 11 were taken into custody in the Los Angeles area. The feds believe that a half-dozen defendants in the U.S. are fugitives. Most of the other defendants are believed to be in Nigeria.
Prosecutors say the operation tricked Americans into sending money under false pretenses. We’re talking email scams, online romance scams, and other schemes targeting the elderly specifically. As for how much money we’re talking, officials say losses total around $10-million…though defendants are accused of attempting to obtain $40-million from victims. Speaking of which - investigators say it's highly unlikely that any of those swindled will see any of their money returned.