Perhaps this will mean a decrease of the scams posted to this news group,
URL wrapped to 2 lines:

   http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/cybercrime/
   story/0,10801,74535,00.html
   U.S. warns Nigeria over online fraud schemes - Computerworld

   By Gideon F. For-Mukwai, IDG News Service
   SEPTEMBER 24, 2002

  "Online schemes operating out of Nigeria that have defrauded victims
   out of tens of millions of dollars have become so pervasive that the
   U.S. government has given the West African country until November to
   take steps to decrease such crimes or face sanctions.

   Financial fraud is now reportedly one of the three largest industries
   in Nigeria, where the anonymity of the Internet is being used to give
   crime syndicates a windfall. One oft-used form of fraud is known as
   "419," a reference to Article 419 of the Nigerian criminal code, and
   involves scam artists sending an unsolicited e-mail, fax or letter
   proposing either an illegal or a legal business deal that requires the
   victim to pay an advance fee, transfer tax or performance bond or to
   allow credit to the sender of the message.

   [snip]

   Some of the criminals are full-time professionals who have set up
   sophisticated but bogus e-commerce fronts with high-class Web sites,
   according to Emmanuel Akutu of Softrail Nigerias.

   The online criminal activity has spread to other countries, including
   Ghana, Liberia, Togo and the Ivory Coast, where technology literacy is
   improving rapidly with government aid. Of all these nations, only
   Ghana has a viable Computer Crime Act, which was one of the first in
   the world.

   The Nigerian government has set up a special fraud unit. Its members
   come from a range of agencies, including the State Security Service
   and the Nigeria Intelligence Agency. The fraud unit has made many
   arrests, but no one has been successfully prosecuted, according to
   news reports."



--Jerry Leslie   (my opinions are strictly my own)
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