Arrests related to email lottery scam

Sophos has reminded computer users about the danger of internet scams following the arrest of ten people in Spain alleged to have defrauded victims via an email lottery scam. The ten people, all Nigerian nationals, are suspected of making more than 19,000 Euros (USD 28,000) in three months by demanding payments from innocent internet users who believed they had won a lottery.

Police report that the emails were sent by the suspects from the Teatinos area of Malaga in Spain, by piggybacking on a neighbour’s Wi-Fi internet connection without permission.  Seven arrests were made in Malaga, and three more in Huelva province.

Sophos experts note that Malaga is no stranger to Nigerian-run email scams.  In 2005, 310 people were arrested in Malaga in what was said to be the biggest ever bust of a lottery scam gang.  The arrests followed an investigation by the FBI and Spanish police into a scam run by Nigerian gangs.