‘Nigerian prince’ email scammer arrested in Slidell
SLIDELL LOUISIANA – A 67-year-old Slidell man who served as a go-between for an international team of scammers running a “Nigerian prince” email scheme has been arrested after an 18-month investigation.
Michael Neu, who is neither Nigerian nor a prince, has been charged with 269 counts of wire fraud and money laundering.
Neu helped shuttle fraudulently obtained money to his co-conspirators, some of whom actually do live in Nigeria, according to the Slidell Police Department.
The ubiquitous scheme, which begins when an email is sent to an unsuspecting recipient the scammers claim has been named as the beneficiary in a will, is designed to collect personal information that is then used to steal money and identities online.
The scheme nets millions of dollars each year, according to the SPD, and is difficult to track since many of the participants operate outside of the United States.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal said. “Never give out personal information over the phone, through e-mail, cash checks for other individuals, or wire large amounts of money to someone you don’t know. 99.9 percent of the time, it’s a scam.”
Other versions of the scam involve people claiming to represent law enforcement agencies or utility companies.
To avoid identity theft scams like this, always ask for a callback number and verify the identity of the person attempting to collect the information, according to the SPD.This message has been edited. Last edited by: BamaJeepster, December 30, 2017 10:18 AM
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” - John Adams
December 29, 2017, 10:12 PM
radioman
not sure where Slidell is, but the photo is not what I expected.
.
December 29, 2017, 10:16 PM
12131
Slidell. There's one in LA. Hey, the prince looks like he hasn't seen the sun in decades.
Q
December 29, 2017, 10:16 PM
arfmel
Louisiana, I believe.
They need to beat that POS within an inch of his life then string him up.
December 29, 2017, 10:17 PM
Sgt Neutron
Hey! He IDENTIFIES as a Nigerian Prince!! Get with the program folks!
December 29, 2017, 10:17 PM
lkdr1989
you don't say
quote:
Michael Neu, who is neither Nigerian nor a prince
...let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one. Luke 22:35-36 NAV
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16 NASV
December 29, 2017, 10:25 PM
signewt
quote:
Michael Neu, who is neither Nigerian nor a prince
so then....he had intent and he Neu what he was doing???
**************~~~~~~~~~~ "I've been on this rock too long to bother with these liars any more." ~SIGforum advisor~ "When the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change, then change will come."~~sigmonkey
December 29, 2017, 10:29 PM
BamaJeepster
Whenever a thread about these scams comes up people always ask why they keep coming around since they have been around forever and everyone knows about them.
quote:
The scheme nets millions of dollars each year, according to the SPD, and is difficult to track since many of the participants operate outside of the United States.
It persists because it still works. It only takes a tiny percentage to work when their spam bots can send out millions of messages a day.
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” - John Adams
December 29, 2017, 10:30 PM
gloucestermen
Yea Slidell is just north of New Orleans. I know it's not right to feel this way. BUT somehow I find this story humorous, it reminds me of the quote, "there is one born every minute."
A Nigerian Prince he is definitely not!
December 29, 2017, 10:31 PM
kimber1911
Who would have guessed, the Nigerian Prince is armless.
“We’re in a situation where we have put together, and you guys did it for our administration…President Obama’s administration before this. We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics,” Pres. Select, Joe Biden
“Let’s go, Brandon” Kelli Stavast, 2 Oct. 2021
December 29, 2017, 10:49 PM
SigEd
quote:
Originally posted by kimber1911: Who would have guessed, the Nigerian Prince is armless.
It would have been a another whole set of charges if he'd been armed....
SigEd
P220ST .45ACP P229 .40SW P229 9mm P239 9mm P232SL NRA Benefactor Life Member
December 29, 2017, 11:35 PM
P220 Smudge
quote:
Randy Fandal
Y' see, you got your Willy Nilly, then you got your Randall Fandal. They's diff'rent.
______________________________________________ "If the truth shall kill them, let them die.”
Endeavoring to master the subtle art of the grapefruit spoon.
December 29, 2017, 11:36 PM
Sailor1911
quote:
Originally posted by lkdr1989: you don't say
quote:
Michael Neu, who is neither Nigerian nor a prince
No, he's a Coonass.
Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.
“If in winning a race, you lose the respect of your fellow competitors, then you have won nothing” - Paul Elvstrom "The Great Dane" 1928 - 2016
December 29, 2017, 11:47 PM
Rey HRH
Any possibility he also has been conned himself?
I think I remember something similar that an email scam trail led to a person and it turns out the person was just left hanging. I'm sure there was greed on his part involved too like the rest of the victims who fall prey to this scam.
"It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.
December 30, 2017, 01:19 AM
egregore
December 30, 2017, 01:56 AM
mr kablammo
The only reason that I know Slidell is because Lee H. Oswald used the alias of Hidell for something. Some think Hidell is a contraction for 'hide well'. Others think that somehow the town name was an influence. Who the hell knows.
Anyways, I detest these scammers and the IRS impersonators to the max.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye". The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, pilot and author, lost on mission, July 1944, Med Theatre.
December 30, 2017, 05:39 AM
jehzsa
quote:
Who would have guessed, the Nigerian Prince is armless.
Apparently his majesty wrote by using his feet.
*************************** Knowing more by accident than on purpose.
December 30, 2017, 06:01 AM
PHPaul
Why does it work? Because people are greedy.
Not much sympathy from here. "You can't cheat an honest man."
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
December 30, 2017, 08:02 AM
BMR
His most serious crime is cultural appropriation.
December 30, 2017, 08:20 AM
downtownv
Looking at the Link's lead stories, Sli-DELL look like a fine town, with lots of up Standing citizens...
