Sweden edition

80-year-old swindled in internet lottery fraud

Published: 30 Dec 09 08:01 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24116/20091230/

An elderly gentleman in central Sweden was swindled out of his life savings by a fraudulent email claiming he had won £450,000 ($715,000).

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At the end of September, an 80-year-old man from Västerås in central Sweden received an email announcing that he had won around 5 million kronor in a lottery.

The email instructed the man to send money abroad in order to collect his prize.

He transferred funds on several occasions to a bank account in England, according to local media. In total, the octogenarian parted with 800,000 kronor ($110,000).

When the 80-year-old then his daughter for a loan in order to transfer even more, she reported the incident to the police.

“You never cease to be surprised. He will never see that money again,” Börje Strömberg, press officer for the Västerås police, told the Västmanlands Läns Tidning (VLT).

Strömberg added that there was little that police could do except to warn people about such scams.

TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)

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08:46 December 30, 2009 by Trowbridge H. Ford

As another 80-year-old, I just cannot believe that this has happened.

Poor guy, but one should never supply any money or possible access to money in order to get alleged winnings.

There are crooks doing this every day, as I well know, but one must never go along with any move that they can exploit.

Even if you are tempted to get involved, never provide an account with anything in it - only an empty one which you will immedidately discover ends the whole charade.

The only thing that bothers me about these frauds is that many of the fraudsters claim to be associated with well-known entities, like Abbey National Bank and Toyota Motors; yet, when one informs them of how their instititutions are being used in these scams, they do nothing about it.

The national police in the countries involved should be informed, and go after such crooks.

The worst scammers are in the U. K.

Report abuse »

09:01 December 30, 2009 by arnuxii

It's ignorance, people who keep themselves informed know about advance fee fraud.

Report abuse »

09:17 December 30, 2009 by juanman79

Unbelievable: transfer to us 800,000 kronor first and then we will transfer you 5 Million! and all this on an e-mail from an unknown person!! I can only say that this poor guy evidently comes from a generation where people trusted and could be trusted. Unfortunately now our world is filled with criminals trying to rob you of anything you have... what a sad story.

Report abuse »

10:55 December 30, 2009 by Great Scott

09:01 December 30, 2009 by arnuxii

It's ignorance, people who keep themselves informed know about advance fee fraud.

The guys 80 years old, let's hope that you are so informed at that age.

It just annoys me that ISP's don't have the technology to intercept these rogue E mails.

But as for the reporting, well I suppose nobody's perfect.

Why is the word "octogenarian" used and then in the next sentence "80-year-old" is used?

But the real fun is guessing the missing word.

"When the 80-year-old then his daughter for a loan in order to transfer even more, she reported the incident to the police".

My guess is it is "told".

Report abuse »

11:00 December 30, 2009 by sherkovic

Isn't a bit stupid to believe that 'you have won a big money and that you need to send these (scams) your money to get back the money which you have won'?

Who would believe that?

Report abuse »

11:59 December 30, 2009 by Bensonradar

@Great Scott.

Suggest it's: "When the 80-year-old then ASKED his daughter for a loan..."

Report abuse »

12:21 December 30, 2009 by workforthesoup

I see this too often. Why cant they get back the money?

He knows the account number and the account is not in Nigeria, it is within the EU. Cant the police authorities make sure that the elderly gentleman gets back his life savings?

This should be basic policing of financial fraud!!

Where is the legislation ? Cant it help such victims?

Report abuse »

12:32 December 30, 2009 by Great Scott

11:59 December 30, 2009 by Bensonradar

@Great Scott.

Suggest it's: "When the 80-year-old then ASKED his daughter for a loan..."

Well done, I wondered if someone would spot the right answer.

Shame the Local has not seen it.

Report abuse »

13:41 December 30, 2009 by Steved

When I get an email from these fraudsters I contact the ISP where the email originated and the company that hosts the email account and tell them about it. You can normally email an "abuse@..." account.

It is especially useful to get the email acount closed down as that is their method of contact.

It doesn't hurt to forward some of these emails to groups of people on the net who like to string along the fraudsters. Scam the scammers!

Report abuse »

#10

14:30 December 30, 2009 by Maman

May I say, if the police know the account number why can't they go after the suspects since the the account number is in the UK

Report abuse »

#11

14:41 December 30, 2009 by krow

GREED!!! what does he want with 5million at 80years old. Did he play the lottery they said he won? Its not like he is poor , he even had 800grand to part with,

Report abuse »

#12

14:55 December 30, 2009 by littlegirl

You can't say it greed. I bet everyone will be happy if he really wins 5 million. The octogenarian is just lack of experience on internet. There are too many innocent people on the internet, so the police should work hard to wipe those swindlers from the earth and prevent that kind of fraud to happen again.

Report abuse »

#13

23:32 December 30, 2009 by swozzie

Where is the legislation ? Cant it help such victims?

You cannot legislate gullibility

Report abuse »

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