Hong Kong has successfully prosecuted its first Nigerian email scammer. A 30-year-old Nigerian man was jailed four years today for a US$26 million scam, in which he was convicted at the District Court of attempting to obtain property by deception and possession of a false travel document.

Last March, emails were spammed to a large number of recipients telling them that after the death of an African official, a US$26 million fund left unattended was in Hong Kong pending transfer via a local bank account to a foreign one.

The case was reported to Police on April 29, and arrangements were made to hold a meeting in a Wan Chai hotel on May 14 between the swindler and two undercover officers.

After he demanded an administration fee of US$24,000, the swindler was arrested, and two fake passports and three forged rubber stamps were found in his Yuen Long residence.

Police reminded web users to beware of email fraud.