At least 20 Irish people have suffered major financial loss as a result of Nigerian-led fraud scams, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation confirmed yesterday. The known victims are spread over four syndicates in various parts of Ireland, and one involves people from both north and south of the border. Although the Fraud Bureau has not confirmed the total value of the funds swindled from the four syndicates, it is certain that it runs into millions. The border grouping alone has lost at least £3 million (€3.8 million).

"One person gets smitten by it and they involve their friends," said Det Supt Willie McGee of the Fraud Bureau, who believes that many fraud victims have not made their plight public because of Revenue fears over "hot" money or simply due to embarrassment.

The fraudsters have used various measures to target their victims, according to Det Supt McGee. Taking names from sources such as the Golden Pages, the electoral register and databases purchased for the purpose, they have used e-mail and traditional post to invite investors to participate in a range of scams.

These have included the promise of diamonds in return for money forwarded and have in some instances spoken of links with the Nigerian Central Bank or Nigerian government ministries. One scam centred around the death of a fictional Nigerian business person who was without relatives and whose substantial funds were dormant in a Nigerian bank account. In an elaborate hoax, Irish investors were tempted to part with their own money in order to eventually gain access to the dead man's millions.

In another case, a letter stated that a Nigerian living in the Republic was unable to gain access to monies in Nigeria because of his asylum-seeker status.

Det Supt McGee emphasised that Nigerian-led fraud has been a global problem for many years and does not have a direct link to the recent influx of Nigerians. The Bureau of Fraud Investigation is in daily receipt of letters and e-mails relating to African fraud scams, said Det Supt McGee.