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vivienne (f)
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New research says scams operated by Nigerian fraudsters are becoming "a large and pressing problem" in the UK. A report by an independent research body says internet scams, credit card fraud and money-laundering are going unchecked by governments in both countries. Nigerian-style "fee frauds", which see conmen send emails asking for help to spirit looted funds out of the country, are said to cost the UK economy £150m a year - with average losses per victim topping £30,000.
study, by Chatham House, said corruption is sneaking through the net because it is not seen in Britain as a priority problem.
"Criminal activity is carried out by a small minority of Nigerians, relative to the size of the country and the number of nationals resident in Britain or visiting it," it said.
"But the numbers of people involved are still significant and their successes reflect wider political and logistical shortcomings with the way the British authorities deal with financial crime.
"Nigeria-related financial crime has become a large and pressing problem for UK authorities."
Despite the country's booming oil industry many Nigerians are very poor, which has helped spark a series of criminal networks, the report added.
On a single day in 2005, a check at Heathrow airport revealed £20m-worth of forged cheques and postal orders in courier mail from the African country's capital, Lagos.
And in another incident last year at a parcel centre in Coventry, customs officials seized more than £1m in cheques hidden in a single handbag sent from the country
, Yahoo featured news. November 20th 04:45AM
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