A Nigerian national who had been living in Canada was taken into custody by Winnipeg police in connection with a West African email scam alleged to have bilked an 84-year old man of $30,000.

Toluwalade Alonge Owolabi, 36, of Toronto, was charged with fraud in excess of $5,000, fraud of less than $5,000 and five other offenses, according to an article in the Edmonton Sun. The suspect was nabbed at the victim's Winnipeg home, after traveling there to pick up another payment, police said. By then, the victim had grown wise to the scam and alerted the cops.

The con began when the victim replied to an email that promised a share of a $1.5m inheritance that - surprise, surprise - turned out not to exist. He was instructed to wire an upfront fee of $37,500, but sent only $30,000 to a bank account in Ghana. The victim was then pressured to send more.

Officials in Ghana have refused to cooperate with police, according to the Sun. ®

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