Arrest in ‘email scam’ investigation

Less than 48 hours before Christmas, the City of London Police was in Manchester to arrest a man suspected of being part of an international advanced fee fraud.

The operation by the force’s Money Laundering Unit (MLIU) follows claims by US citizens that they were targeted by emails suggesting they had a windfall inheritance from distant relatives.

One such victim, an Illinois farmer, alleged how he and his family had paid up to $150,000 in what they thought were administrative fees to release the inheritance, only to receive nothing in return.  

In a matter of days shared intelligence between US authorities and the City of London Police, including a quick-fire National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) search, identified a suspect at a residential address in the North West.

On the early morning operation (Dec 23) detectives, accompanied by officers from GMP, had to force their way into the suspect’s house. The man, 43, was questioned in Manchester and later released on bail.

The investigation into the alleged advanced fee fraud highlights how City of London Police, the National Lead Force for fraud, is at the forefront of the national and international efforts to combat a crime costing the UK millions of pounds each year.
 
The Head of Economic Crime at the City of London Police, Det Supt Steve Head, said:

“This operation is another good example of the National Lead Force operating effectively with our partners across the length and breadth of the country. It also acts as a reminder that fraudsters don’t stop over Christmas, and neither do we.”

“Both through our close partnerships with national and international law enforcement and through our the groundbreaking work of the NFIB we are moving fraud investigations on at a quicker pace then ever before, giving us a crucial advantage as we continue to lead the fight against fraud in 2011."

The arrest brings to an end a successful 2010 for the NFIB, which also developed intelligence that led to notable police action around a major ticketing fraud and an alleged loan-repayments fraud. You can read more by visiting the NFIB website.