Nigerian Spam

A Nigerian man who helped defraud two Jefferson County brothers out of $115,000 beseeched guilty in St. Louis last week in a rare U.S.-based trial of a well-famous Internet-based fraud. Femi Ikuopenikan, 35, who lived in Houston before his seize, pleaded accountable in federal court Thursday of conspiracy to cheat the U.S.

The fraud is usually recognized as the "Nigerian scam" or "419 frauds," for a section of the Nigerian criminal code. Victims are told that for a petite fee of taxes, customs fees or expenses, they could earn millions helping government officials or diplomats will money out of the country.

There are many variations, but they all function on the same principle: Victims send thousands of dollars overseas and get nothing but discomfiture in return. U.S. prosecutions are rare as the scammers function mainly from overseas and conceal their identities.