You mean the FBI doesn't charge? Doh!

[RyanMcC]

Published: 14 Jan 2009

A LONELY postal worker has landed himself in huge debt – after handing over £130,000 to a string of internet scammers.

Shane Symington started sending cash to the fraudsters in 2007 after he was contacted by a woman claiming she needed funds to help her sick mother.

The trusting postie agreed and started sending money from an inheritance he had received when an elderly relative passed away.

He even stumped up the cash for a funeral when the woman said her mother had died.

He finally smelt a rat after the woman failed to reply to any of his emails.

Symington was then contacted by another 'victim' who told him the woman he had been in contact with was actually a Nigerian gang.

That email was quickly followed by one from men claiming to be the FBI who said they were investigating the fraud.

The men told Mr Symington they would take on his case if he sent money to fund their trip to Nigeria, including any costs they incurred during the trip.

Mr Symington agreed and, after taking out loans to raise the funds, he eventually sent money to three separate ’FBI’ agents.

This went on until December last year when Mr Symington realised he had been scammed again.

In total he forked out just over £130,000.

Now to rub salt into his wounds, police say he won’t be able to recover the money he sent because the Nigerian police are not willing to cooperate.

Detective Jon Knox said: “This is a very sad situation.

“This man has now parted with huge sums of money through his own good nature - by trying to help others and then by trying to recover some of what he had lost.

“We do not want anyone else to fall foul of this kind of shocking activity.

“I would warn anyone who is asked for money over the internet by people they do not know to refuse, and not put yourself at risk.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... 131643.ece

[Ragnar]

“This man has now parted with huge sums of money through his own stupidity- by trying to help others and then by trying to recover some of what he had lost.

Fixed it for you.