By Josefine Josepha for Caribbean News Now
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao — In recent months, Curacao has started to become an increasing target of a variation on the Nigerian 419 internet advanced fee fraud/scam using the identity of former parliamentarians in the South African government and legislature.
Following inquiries sent to the relevant authorities and communications with the South African People’s Assembly and the relevant ministry in the South African government, people who receive proposal letters they believe could be 419-scams are asked to forward the email, along with a note to say whether or not they have responded, to [email protected] attention of Captain Harry Baatjies, who is the commander of the 419 scam task force appointed to investigate the crime.
Baatjies’ team works closely with a co-ordinating office at police headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa; headed by Superintendent Sicro Schambriel.
According to Rian Visser at the South Africa Commercial Crime Branch, their Organized Crime Unit is concentrating on the 419 scam, and will be able to use all information to draw profiles and link suspects to cases.
In addition, Netherlands authorities, KLPD, Financial Crimes Unit, are also interested in receiving copies of scam correspondence (pertaining to a Dutch address or telephone number) and should be sent attention to C. Schep.
Up to publication, no comment has been received from the South African Deputy Minister’s office of International Relations and Cooperation or the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
Under the “commercial activity” exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, Nigerian government officials could be sued in US courts if implicated in a legal discovery.
Bron: CaribbenaNewsNow