Cornell Police are warning the campus community about an international "Nigerian prince fraud" that has been reported in this area in recent weeks.
Cornell Senior Investigator Scott Hamilton said that four Cornell staff persons reported receiving e-mail letters regarding this scheme during the past few weeks. The fraud involves a letter, allegedly from a Nigerian businessman, that is sent to a targeted individual either through U.S. mail or by e-mail. The letter asks for the name and number of a bank account into which large sums of money can be transferred; in exchange, the recipient is promised a large fee.
The fraudulent scheme has been in operation since 1996. Federal authorities say some unsuspecting victims have actually traveled to Nigeria, where they were in danger of arrest by authorities or of physical injury by the perpetrators of the scam.
Anyone receiving letters or e-mail about this scam is asked to contact Hamilton at 255-8950. If the message comes by e-mail, he asks that the recipient print a copy with all the headers intact and not forward it to other university offices.
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