| Police Arrest 52 in Email Scam Raids |  |
| Thu Jan 29,11:16 AM ET |
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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Amsterdam police said on Thursday they had arrested 52 people in the Dutch capital in connection with an email scam designed to defraud the gullible with get-rich-quick schemes.
Police said the group was suspected of sending some 100,000 email messages to addresses in Japan and the United States.
The emails claim to be from a well-known individual or the individual's relative and promise the recipient a percentage payment from a sum of up to $20 million for help in transferring frozen funds to an accessible place.
In such scams -- made infamous by West African fraudsters -- once the victim is hooked, he or she is then is usually asked to put up hefty sums for air fares or other pretences.
"It is surprising that despite repeated reports about this people continue to be so naive as to take part in these proposals," the statement said.
A police spokesman declined to say whether those arrested were Dutch citizens or foreign nationals.
The suspects were seized in raids on 23 locations around Amsterdam, along with a number of personal computers, mobile phones, false documents and a total of 50,000 euros ($62,340) in cash.