A Louisiana man has been arrested in connection with the infamous “Nigerian prince” scam, according to local police.
Michael Neu is now faces 269 counts of wire fraud and money laundering after being taken into custody following an indepth investigation. The 67-year-old is suspected of being a middle man in the scheme that has stolen thousands of dollars from its victims. Neu apparently wired the obtained money to his scamming colleagues in Nigeria.
The well-known scam often starts with an email from a “Nigerian prince” or an equivalent high ranking official who needs assistance to retrieve an inheritance. Though the scam has been around for years, many still fall victim to it.
“Most people laugh at the thought of falling for such a fraud, but law enforcement officials report annual losses of millions of dollars to these schemes,” the Slidell police said in a statement.