Nigeria Enlists Microsoft To Tight Spammers
Quote:
Microsoft is planning to work with the Nigerian government to help track down and prosecute criminals involved in e-mail scams and other Internet-based fraud originating from the African country.
Microsoft will provide technical expertise, training and other security resources to Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is tasked with fighting cybercrime in the country.
Nigeria was initially slow to respond to the problem of "419" e-mail scammers operating in the country, who were duping unsuspecting Internet users out of thousands of pounds by promising a share of the secret multimillion-pound fortune of a deposed African dictator.
The EFCC is now at the forefront of that battle and has arrested more than 1,000 people, brought 300 prosecutions and seized a billion dollars in assets--but that has still only resulted in 17 convictions to date.
In an interview at the Nigerian Embassy in London on Friday, Nuhu Ribadu, executive chairman of the EFCC, said it is a "painful" problem for Nigeria.
http://news.com.com/Nigeria+enlists+...5534&subj=news
CnetNews:: October 14, 2005, 9:46 AM PDT
