Justice Secretary Jack Straw has been the victim of Nigerian fraudsters who sent out hundreds of e-mails in his name asking for money.

The e-mails claimed he had lost his wallet on charity work in Africa and needed 3,500 US dollars to get home.

Messages headed the Right Hon Jack Straw MP were sent to council bosses, government chiefs and others.

The fraudsters are thought to have hacked into computers at Mr Straw's Blackburn constituency office.

Mr Straw has confirmed the e-mails had been sent to a "significant number of people" in his address book but he said there were no security issues as it was his Blackburn e-mail address rather than his ministerial account that was targeted.

He told his local newspaper the Lancashire Telegraph: "I started getting phone calls from various constituents asking if I was really in Nigeria needing 3,000 dollars.

"It was an issue for constituents, not the government. I would like you to assist me with a soft loan urgently to settle my hotel bills and get myself back home

Fake email sent to Jack Straw's contacts

"We are checking all that and I am assured there's no evidence that confidentiality of constituents was affected."

When he was home secretary, Mr Straw established the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit to combat internet hackers.

He said: "The internet is wonderful in many ways, but these gangs put a lot of effort in because they make money from it.

"In a lot of cases they do get people to cough up.

"But I think it was so obviously ridiculous that I could go off trekking in Africa and I would lose my wallet."

'Misplaced wallet'

The scam e-mail, which was sent to Labour members, council chiefs and Ministry of Justice officials, said Mr Straw was travelling to Africa for a project called Empowering Youth to Fight Racism, and was at an address in the Nigerian capital Lagos.

Mr Straw is quoted as saying: "I misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel where my money and other valuable things were kept.

"I would like you to assist me with a soft loan urgently to settle my hotel bills and get myself back home".

The scam came to light on Thursday when Mr Straw's office received an e-mail saying its account would be suspended unless a reply was sent.

But when a member of staff replied, they were blocked out of the account.

Constituents then began to phone Mr Straw's constituency office asking about the e-mail they had received.

One is believed to have replied to the e-mail, but nobody has offered any money to the fraudsters.

The Hotmail account was suspended by Microsoft.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7908498.stm

damn. see Bleep up. make these yahoo boys stop na

The thing tire me o. na so so fraud everyday we dey hear!!

I can't laugh enough but these people should have known by now. People should be more careful with their address books and contact lists though.

Whoever had the idea clearly haven't left the shores of Nigeria. A government official like Jack Straw is manned 24/7 either by body guards, GPS tracking and constant monitoring in one way or the other as he is a potential terrorist target. Hence there will be NO way he will be stuck in one part of the world and needing money.

I suppose the writer of the email was viewing it from a Nigeria's mentality where we can ask people to "borrow" us money in time of need. Things are done differently here. Government officials can not run out of money while abroad - especially high profile one. The author of the email should have done a bit of research.

probably not carried out by naija boys. naija boiz wont use nigeria name for that kind off yahoo, the name is a liability.

Nigerias name even a liablity for yahoo boys chai things don kolo for dat country

ElRazur:

Whoever had the idea clearly haven't left the shores of Nigeria. A government official like Jack Straw is manned 24/7 either by body guards, GPS tracking and constant monitoring in one way or the other as he is a potential terrorist target. Hence there will be NO way he will be stuck in one part of the world and needing money.

I suppose the writer of the email was viewing it from a Nigeria's mentality where we can ask people to "borrow" us money in time of need. Things are done differently here. Government officials can not run out of money while abroad - especially high profile one. The author of the email should have done a bit of research.

;Dexactly,plus its not even in a typical british person's psyche to call friends much less constituent members up to ask for money,not even pounds which is the logical currency he would have asked but dollars