A FRAUD squad warning has gone out to business people in North Yorkshire to ignore the latest round of letter propositions from Nigeria.

"They could well be an attempt to launder stolen money or drugs money," said Detective Constable Gerry Coop, of the Tadcaster-based fraud squad.

The alert was sparked by freelance sports writer for the Evening Press, Peter Vine, who lives in York.

Mr Vine was targeted for a "strictly confidential business proposal" in a letter signed, allegedly, by Dr Daniel Ade, of Lagos, and marked for the attention of the chief executive.

Introducing himself as "the chief accountant foreign payment division with the Federal Ministry of Finance", the writer says that his department controls certificates of contracts and procurement.

The letter begins: "I sincerely wish to contact you with hope that you would be of good help towards the execution of an intending business transaction that requires a reliable foreign partner, though we have never meet (sic) or entered into any kind of business relationship in the past but I still have the utmost confidence in you based on a reliable recommendation."

And he asks for help "to transfer a reasonable sum to a new off-shore account in London, with your full consent and support. This sum originated from an over-invoiced contract value."

It would mean opening a new current account under a secret code name which would be disclosed to Mr Vine. Also revealed to him would be a London venue where both would meet before funds left the account.

"Your acknowledgement of this letter will encourage our negotiations for the immediate payment release. Expecting your urgent reply for further details."

Mr Vine, who passed on the details to the police, said that he received a similar letter from Nigeria, though allegedly from a different person, six months ago.

He said: "I suppose anyone who takes these so called offers up by opening up this bank account would be instrumental in infringing exchange control regulations."

Det Con Coop said: "One would assume the targets are found in the business pages of the phone directory. They hit different areas at different times. In the past year we have learned of five others sent to people in North Yorkshire.

"No sensible person would have anything to do with these 'propositions'. On the strength of obtaining details of your new bank account all sorts of scams can be worked, including laundering stolen or drugs money.

"Besides, Britain doesn't have diplomatic relations with Nigeria right now, so why should we do business with them, let alone in a chain letter?"

A new section of the National Criminal Intelligence Service has been set up, using Interpol know-how, to counter fake-letter crooks from Nigeria.

Last year more than 68,000 advance fee fraud letters from Nigeria were handed to UK police.

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