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Police investigate Nigerian email scam

An email scam reported by the East London and West Essex Guardian last week is being investigated by police, the newspaper has confirmed.

A number of contacts of former Epping Petanque Club secretary Arthur Tallon received emails claiming he was stranded in Nigeria and needed $800 to help him get home.

However, the emails were actually sent by fraudsters who had compromised his online security and hacked into the 79-year-old's email account.

Epping Forest district commander chief inspector Alan Ray told the newspaper: "If the person suffers a loss then it does become a crime and we have to look at each individual case."

He noted that the scam is "quite a popular" one and revealed that people often fall for it.

The chief inspector said: "My advice is, don't send any money on the base of an email."

Justice secretary Jack Straw was also hit recently by the Nigerian scam when fraudsters sent hundreds of emails in which he appeared to be asking for a loan to help him get home from Africa.

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