Nigerian nabbed for fake Internet lottery racket

Sagar, MP, July 31 (UNI) A case of cheating has been registered against a Nigerian youth who duped a local by declaring him as a lottery winner on the Internet, police said today.

Gopalgunj-resident Sameer Qureshi used to dispatch applications abroad for jobs. On June 16, he received e-mail that he had won the UK International Lottery whereby he would receive 420,000 pounds.

When Sameer contacted the so-called agency, he was told that a youth was en route to meet him. Sameer would have to pay about Rs 2.25 lakh to the youth in return for a boxful of money. Smelling a rat, Sameer alerted the police and a trap was laid. The accused Maduke was apprehended on July 29 when he came to collect the money.

Twenty-eight bundles of paper, cut in the form of currency notes, were seized from the accused's hotel room. His passport and visa are also under scrutiny. A threat e-mail to Sameer is being probed.

UNI XC-AC AD KN1829