Now, Nigerian email fraudsters ‘rope in’ supercop Kiran Bedi

MUMBAI: Identity of the country's most famous crime-buster has been stolen to perpetuate the Nigerian fraud. Supercop Kiran Bedi has been impersonated in an email doing rounds. In a novel method of extortion, the impostor warns she is fighting the scam on behalf of the United Nations. Anybody whose money is stuck with the conmen should pay none but her to secure a bounty of $ 5 million.

Introducing herself as crime fighter Kiran Bedi, the impostor says she has been mandated to come to Africa to investigate the Nigerian fraud as a civilian police advisor to the United Nations. Bedi's website mentions her stint in the UN in 2003.

The email says how Bedi is baffled to find how the recipients' funds from Africa, which were intercepted, have not been released despite being cleared by the ''Nigerian presidency''. She sympathizes with those who have spent a lot of money to transfer the fund into their account. She claims to have apprehended syndicates who have confessed to the fraud and indicted some top level bankers. The letter says these ''ruthless Nigerians'' have impersonated top UN officers like secretary general Ban Ki Moon to work their ruse.

''The World Bank and Mr Bank Ki-Moon (sic) have instructed that the Federal Government of Nigeria must pay an amount of USD 5 million to each of the people whose names were found in the list,'' the note says. ''This amount must be paid within the next 14 banking days or an Economic Sanction will be placed on Nigeria by the UN and other international Organizations.''