Police in Slidell, Louisiana say they've caught a man who helped scam people out of money by using one of the oldest scams online: the "Nigerian Prince" scam.

Investigators say 67-year-old Michael Neu was involved in hundreds of financial transactions that were the result of spam emails like the one below.

[

]

The emails claim to be sent by an important foreign figure or dignitary reaching out to you for help. Despite the name, the emails come from many parts of the world and scammers are based in many countries, not just Nigeria. The dignitary offers the recipient a great sum of money in exchange for a little financial help. (They are commonly called "Nigerian Prince" email scams because that was the type of dignitary frequently used by scammers during the scam's rise to prominence in in the mid-2000's.)

Similar emails have been sent to inboxes across the country for nearly two decades. While most people immediately recognize the scam email for what for it is, some of the less tech-savvy amongst us have lost millions of dollars to the scams over the years.

Neu is facing 269 counts of Wire Fraud and Money Laundering. And yes, police say Neu did send some of that money to Nigeria in this case. Meanwhile, the investigation continues, but police say finding scammers outside the country will be difficult.

[

]

"Nigerian Prince" Scam Example Email