courtesy MacUser
Australian faces four years in jail for £3mn email scam 12:02PM
A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to at least four years behind bars for his part in an email scam that netted him AU$ 5mn (£2.94mn).
Nick Marinellis, from Sydney, was allegedly the Australian head of the so-called Nigerian or West African scam, where email was spammed out suggesting the recipient had unclaimed lottery winnings, inheritance and business opportunities they could claim if they sent off a sum to cover administration.
Marinellis pleaded guilty in a court in New South Wales, Australia to ten counts of fraud and one count of perverting the course of justice. Judge Barry Mahoney sentenced Marinellis to five years and three months jail with a non-parole period of four years and four months.
The investigation leading to the arrest revealed an office complex in Nottingham, UK, a AU$970,000 house in Sydney, seven other properties in the NSW area, five cars, several bank accounts and other properties.
'Conmen like Marinellis are fleecing internet users out of millions around the world,' said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. 'Stiff sentences send a strong message to others considering committing similar crimes to think again.'
Matt Whipp
Porridge For The Spammers
- James Blast
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- hallucienate
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nice, but he should've been jailed for spamming too
- Ian - Rhythm Smurph
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It always amazes me that there is money to be made out of these scams.
Who exactly are these crazy bastards who send off their cash to the senders of unsolicited email?
In the case of the Nigerian scam (how many times has that one passed through my inbox????) sometimes I think the gready bastards who respond deserve all they get! It obviously doesn't worry them that they think they are stealing from the bank and Nigerian government through a tax scam.
Then again I guess most legislation is on the statute books in order to protect the stupid!
Though any spammer getting a good kicking (or jail time) makes me happy! I currently get about 100 a day across my various acounts!
Who exactly are these crazy bastards who send off their cash to the senders of unsolicited email?
In the case of the Nigerian scam (how many times has that one passed through my inbox????) sometimes I think the gready bastards who respond deserve all they get! It obviously doesn't worry them that they think they are stealing from the bank and Nigerian government through a tax scam.
Then again I guess most legislation is on the statute books in order to protect the stupid!
Though any spammer getting a good kicking (or jail time) makes me happy! I currently get about 100 a day across my various acounts!
- markfiend
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I know what you mean. Wasn't it P T Barnum that said something along the lines that you can't con an honest man; someone has to have a bit of larceny in their heart to be a true mark.Ian - Rhythm Smurph wrote:In the case of the Nigerian scam (how many times has that one passed through my inbox????) sometimes I think the gready bastards who respond deserve all they get!
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
—Bertrand Russell
- Ian - Rhythm Smurph
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And neatly bringing two threads together
i.e. this one and 'Talk to Frank - Find your Tribe'
voila:
Which Nigerian Spammer Are You?
i.e. this one and 'Talk to Frank - Find your Tribe'
voila:
Which Nigerian Spammer Are You?
- James Blast
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nice one!Ian - Rhythm Smurph wrote:And neatly bringing two threads together
i.e. this one and 'Talk to Frank - Find your Tribe'
voila:
Which Nigerian Spammer Are You?
"And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere".
~ Peter Steele
~ Peter Steele