both TonyRo76 and LasVegasDave.
Posted on 03/31/2010 2:27:03 PM PDT by Las Vegas Dave
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Most people don't fall for the African inheritance scam where a huge sum of money sits in a foreign bank account waiting to be claimed -- but at a price.
But some do.
Nine people, including several from the Cleveland area, sued a Solon woman and two lawyers this week claiming they duped the plaintiffs into helping the woman recover $14.5 million left behind in the African nation of Burkina Faso.
The lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, claims Willia Burton and two attorneys from Baker Hostetler in Cleveland persuaded the plaintiffs to give her more than $1 million. The money was for legal fees and other payments necessary to recover the inheritance left to Burton by her father. Each contributor was promised "a huge return," the lawsuit states.
It's been five years and none of the nine has seen a dime.
Some of the people who filed suit first met Burton, who worked as a mortgage broker, through the real estate business.
One of the victims eventually helped the U.S. Secret Service investigate Burton, although no criminal charges have been filed.
Fred Proctor Jr., 70, said his real estate financing company in Georgia gave nearly $300,000 to Burton. He also said the Secret Service fitted him with a wire to record a lunch conversation with Burton in Cleveland, during which strongly defended the deal.
The Secret Service would not comment on the matter, nor would the U.S. Attorney's Office.
But the FBI and Better Business Bureau have warned for nearly a decade that deals like the one described in the lawsuit -- in which people are asked to contribute money up front to help get money from a foreign account -- are nothing more than a scam.
The plaintiffs claim Burton arranged a meeting in June 2005 between herself, Baker Hostetler attorneys and Proctor's son, Fred Proctor III, to discuss the inheritance. Once Proctor III arrived at the firm's Cleveland office, he met with attorney William Culbertson and talked by phone with attorney Paul Feinberg, according to the lawsuit.
During that call, Feinberg verified that the $14.5 million was in a bank account in Burkina Faso and that the plaintiffs' investment was needed to get the money, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs also said Baker Hostetler's lawyers drafted promissory notes for the investors, and that Culbertson told Proctor III at one point he "couldn't believe this deal" and that "if I had the money, I would do the same as you," according to the lawsuit.
Based on those assurances, Proctor Jr. said, he gave Burton a $75,000 check from his company, Family Home Providers Inc. Ultimately, his firm gave Burton a total of $295,000, with a board member kicking in another $100,000.
Proctor Jr. and the other plaintiffs claim they only gave money to Burton because Baker Hostetler was involved.
"I didn't do anything until I got legal advice from my attorney through Baker Hostetler," Proctor Jr. said. "I mean I'm not stupid."
Baker Hostetler officials did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday. Neither did Feinberg, who is retired, or Culbertson.
Burton's attorney Mike Nelson believes she also was a victim of the scam, likely perpetrated by a sophisticated organization in Africa that includes government officials, bankers and others.
Nelson said Burton also relied on Baker Hostetler, where she previously worked as a legal secretary, to confirm the legitimacy of the inheritance.
"She's never been to Burkina Faso," Nelson said.
Proctor said he first met Burton when she was a mortgage broker and came to him for help with financing.
Others caught up in the scam, such as Jim Hayzlett of Beachwood, also knew Burton through the real estate business.
Hayzlett, who buys and refurbishes homes, said he was introduced to Burton by members of a real estate investors club that met weekly at a Knights of Columbus hall in Garfield Heights.
Hayzlett said he had known about the Nigerian money scams at the time, but thought this was different because of the assurances he understood to have come from Baker Hostetler. He said Burton told him that her father had been in the mining business in Africa and left a lot of money in a safe deposit box in Burkina Faso.
At the time, Hayzlett said, the inheritance had purportedly made its way to a London account and all Burton needed was money for a tax to have it released. Hayzlett gave Burton $135,000.
To this day, Hayzlett still does not know what happened, or whether Burton was even in on the scam.
"That's a question I ask myself everyday," he said. "Whether she was scammed or not."
Joel Levin, an attorney for the plaintiffs, would not comment on the Baker Hostetler attorneys or his clients, but said the type of scam they were caught up in wasn't widely publicized in 2005 like it is now.
"Everybody looks foolish in a fraud scheme in retrospect," he said.
They were only $10 away from getting their share!
Ha Ha Haaaa.
I love satire.
You mean that Nigerian prince I just sent $10K to help him retrieve 14 mill, was a fraud. Boy do I feel the fool.
I'm astounded.
What say the 64 million that voted for 0bama?
Proctor Jr. and the other plaintiffs claim they only gave money to Burton because Baker Hostetler was involved.
"I didn't do anything until I got legal advice from my attorney through Baker Hostetler," Proctor Jr. said. "I mean I'm not stupid."
didn’t I read on FR a few years ago that some of these Nigerian, Liberian, et al, scams originate from a boiler room in Belgium???
“Nine people, including several from the Cleveland area, sued a Solon woman and two lawyers this week claiming they duped the plaintiffs into helping the woman recover $14.5 million left behind in the African nation of Burkina Faso.”
“I didn’t do anything until I got legal advice from my attorney through Baker Hostetler,” Proctor Jr. said. “I mean I’m not stupid.”
With all due respect, Mr. Proctor, the fact that you fell for one of the most obviously bogus and well known scams in the world, indicates that you are, indeed, quite stupid.
I say this, not to be mean, but to help you. If you had been aware of just how stupid you are, you probably would not have been scammed.
I only feel a little sorry for people who fall for these scams. They sound like someone is skirting the law and looking for someone to help them. So in addition to being stupid these people are willing to break the law to make a buck. On the other hand, the perps deserve to be caught and tossed into the ocean.
I thought Burkina Fatso was one of those women on ‘Biggest Loser’...
You mean to tell me that Mrs. Arafat really DOESN’T WANT ME TO HANDLE HER LATE HUSBAND YASSER’S GAZILLION DOLLAR SECRET BANK ACCOUNTS??????????????
Please, don’t tell me it’s all a scam.
This was going to be my BIG CHANCE!
Proctor Jr. said. “I mean I’m not stupid.”
Better re-think that, Proctor.
“the type of scam they were caught up in wasn’t widely publicized in 2005 like it is now. “
What? I’ve been getting these offers since the ‘90s...
The only reason I didn’t take them up on it was I was/am heavily invested in marbles and play high stakes marble games....(yes, I’ve lost all my marbles more than oncet)...and couldn’t afford to pay the ransom...(dude)
(a fool is soon parted from his $$)
“We’re going bowlin’
Don’t lose her in Solon”
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