Well, as it seems there was not much interest to comment my request about to help me to find victims, apart from members I am already affiliated with over at 419eater. No problem!
I wasn't idle in the meantime, and let me allow now to crosspost here what I had to report about the arrest at my home forum:
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Perhaps there are some of you around who remember the Kwaze Modo against Trans Diplomatic Corps case. It was a hilarious bait performed by NomDePlume, started in December of last year and lasted until February 2004. Remarkable was in this bait that it has proven another time how thick lads are: Kwaze Modo was supposed to be an old man originating from Ivory Coast, actually a bell ringer in Notre Dame, Indiana. The lads had no problem with trying to fleece him, regardless of the impossibility of the usual justification with colonialism. But at least they have proven not to be racists.
Another remarkable point in this bait was that it led straight to Hungary. The "security company" was called "TDC Hungary", TDC standing for as above, and was supposed to be located in Budapest. We all know about lads in London, Amsterdam, Madrid and Dubai, also heard of them in Bangkok, but Budapest... was just too weird. NomDePlume knew that I originate from Hungary and involved me. I for my part involved the Hungarian Police as soon as we've managed to set up a fake arrival for Kwaze Modo in Budapest on the 31th Dec. 2003.
I was at the airport and saw our mugu. I was very disappointed with him, as he failed to hold a sign as promised "Kwaze Modo is a bell ringer", but still he was a nice fellow and has spent some 1:40 on the airport waiting for a nonexisting person, also allowing me to take some shy and low quality pictures, and for the police to videotape his ugly face. Yes, the Police was also there, and they did not arrest this man. They also did not arrest the other mugu waiting outside of the complex in a Mercedes 180 SE with a Hungarian license plate. Any arrest would have been pointless I guess: Nigerian scammers are likely to be involved in all kinds of crap, it's better to observe them first, see what they do and what they are up to. These fellows have handed over lots of information by their forgettable performance both at the airport as within the bait. Yes, telephone numbers are good. Emails with full headers are also very, very good.
While the Police investigated, we were requested to keep the bait running. We did for a while, but in order to get some more time we had to put Kwaze into hospital. We wanted to kill him but eventually we put him into coma only, just in case we need him again. But just how long can you keep a bait idle? It depends on the lad, and these ones were not so keen to chit chat around for an extended period, they wanted to see the money. The bait slowly collapsed. The Police had some more important things to do.
By the end of March Lew_Skannen has found a victim who has obviously been scammed by the same gang. Mr Benson (name changed) has been warned off and a few days later he agreed to cooperate in order to bring these criminals to justice - or at least those who realistically can get arrested: the gang in Budapest. I've taken over Mr Benson's place. He has forwarded all emails between me and the lads. I have passed all information on to the Police in Hungary. They were interested and cooperative. I've told them about 419eater, the art of baiting and what's beyond.
To put it short, I wanted to set up a sting at the airport in Budapest. It has worked well in the Kwaze Modo case, and this was supposed to add an evidence to the case. An airport is also a good place for an arrest. Just think of the photo op. The problem was, however, that Mr Benson has already paid $7,200 to the lads, by wire transfer to a bank account at a reputed bank in Budapest. These lads were assured that they were dealing with a real maga. What's even more convenient than to sit around in front of a computer and to send out silly emails, and in return the cash is flowing in onto your bank account? There is no better thing on Earth. Speaking of wash-wash or other stunts - for heaven's sake, why to do it? As long as the maga transfers his money from a remote country, there is no need to undertake anything else. The lads didn't want to see Mr Benson around. Their victim became a pain in their a$$.
Mr Benson had scheduled a visit to one of the neighboring countries of Hungary, so he could easily be convinced to visit the Police HQ in Budapest and file a report. On the same day I also went there and testified. In my testimony I have given detailed a explanation about the Kwaze bait, the airport sighting including the lad's physical description, I have revealed all details about how Mr Benson got scammed and what I did after I took over his place, referred to 419eater and scamorama, gave all IPs and telephone numbers I retrieved. Finally I attached all digital evidences on a CD, including the low quality pictures I shot at the airport.
A week ago then I eventually had the pleasure to see who I was fighting against. That tall and skinny lad was pale like a piece of household soap, rather unusually for a West-African. To be honest, I would have probably shat and pissed my pants if the same had happened to me like what he had experienced on that day. By the time I saw him he was not alone. He had a nice steel jewelry on his hands keeping them behind his back and he was being escorted by four XXXL-sized masked policemen in full combat gear, leading him right to the police car conveniently parked in front of his apartment. To put it short and without to reveal many details, I have witnessed a police action I got the impression from to be smooth, precise and highly professional. A big kudos to the Hungarian Police first off for taking me seriously and accepting me tipping them off, secondly to have arrested this lad, and thirdly to let me witness the spectacular action.
Before you ask, I have not taken any pictures of the arrest. This is to protect the identities of the involved forces, of whom not all have worn masks. Also I was subsequently kindly asked to sign a confidentiality agreement which when I break, I become - legally speaking - subject of a penalty of up to five years prison.
Our lad has used among others the names "Mr Livero Mbeki", "Mrs Veronica Rosa" and "Mrs Marcella Conteh" during his scamming activities. His actual name is however, as you might have guessed, none of the above. Agu Kenneth Obinna is the name he used, and surprise-surprise, he is a Nigerian, despite of all other traces pointing to Benin and Cote d'Ivoire. As it turned out, his two brothers and one sister live in Benin. His parents however live in the U.S. as legal residents. Agu and his Hungarian wife have applied for an immigration permission to the U.S. for a family reunification. If I understood well, his permission is due to be granted this fall. I'm tempted to say, it was supposed to be due, and hopefully it isn't anymore. I hope that the Hungarian authorities will inform the U.S. Immigration Agency about the matter, but if they would for some reason fail to do so, I will take care of the job. Agu will NOT enter the U.S., and I mean it.
Agu hasn't worked alone, that for sure. The arrest took place on the 12th of May and I'm not fully informed about the current status of the investigations, but there are clear indicators suggesting that there have to be other perpetrators still on the run. I personally suspect Agu's white, blond and cute young wife to have participated the scam, who at the same time like Agu has also been overrun and briefly arrested, but finally discharged and left at home with their one year old baby. Mr Benson has reported and testified to have had several phone conversations with a woman who introduced herself as "Veronica Rosa", and considering the facts that a cellular phone was used which Agu seemingly has kept at him at all times, and the scam was committed from their small apartment, and that Mr Benson has called them at random times, I personally can't imagine who else that woman could have been. But I'm for sure neither a detective nor a general attorney, let alone a judge, to decide this. So the cute blond lady, though seemingly terrified by the arrest of her husband did not officially gain the status of my first white mugu lad(y) arrested so far.
Let's stick to Agu. Well, rather not, as he is an inmate at the moment!
As his apartment has been searched the Police has found a few things which really made my day. They returned with beaming faces! Agu turned out to be a precise man - reportedly he attended the Technical University in Budapest. As a future engineer, he must have known very well of the importance of precision, so the bloody idiot has kept accurate records of his scams in a tiny hardcover notebook. The booklet consists one hundred double pages with one to three victims on each page, and as fate plays, he just started in on the very last page! Turning back the leaves of the booklet instantly revealed the names "Kwaze Modo" and "Mr Benson" among hundreds of other ones, "format" notes like "NNPC" etc., fake African banks involved, victims' real bank account numbers, telephone numbers, email and real addresses, "bill" details and such, all just by his own handwriting! It is a complete and comprehensive documentation of a very successful 419er gang! Congratulations and many, many thanks for that, Agu!
Apart from this finding, the Police recovered in the apartment four Nigerian passports, one of which belonged to Agu. One of the rest belonged to the fellow waiting for Kwaze Modo at the airport. Furthermore they have found a fake (or stolen and altered) French driver's license with Agu's photograph in it but issued for a French name - actually the same name like the holder of that bank account which some of their victims (among them Mr Benson) were requested to pay the "fees" to! And finally there was Agu's laptop, hopefully with many more juicy details on it.
For lack of better words I will henceforth refer to Agu's situation as being 'properly fucked'.
I've had eye contact with the rat twice, once as he has been brought out from the house and for a second time as he was sitting in the car waiting for his transport. I saw fear in his eyes. Admittedly I loved that look pretty much. He saw my face too, but I give no crap about it. I've requested confidential data handling as regards to my personal information as I testified. This still won't prevent his lawyers to get to know my name, but this is luckily so common that it is hardly possible to track me down. You know what? I couldn't care less. The pulsing capital letters in his eyes I clearly spelled as ---- have made me a lot of trouble worthwhile.
A few hours later I had a conversation with one of the detectives involved. I told him with an big evil grin on my face how much I wished to know what Agu was doing in his cell alone at that moment! To which he replied: "Probably... agunizing!"
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Agu and his wife lived in this house (on the topmost floor) in a Budapest suburb:
(Click to enlarge)
Agu's shiny Mercedes:
(Click to enlarge)
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