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4 Charged In 'Princess Diana Lottery' Scam

NEW YORK (AP) -- It sounded too good to be true and it was.
   
New York prosecutors have charged four men with cheating people by telling them they'd won the "$5 Million Princess Diana Lottery.''
   
A complaint was unsealed Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn. It also accuses them of telling other victims in e-mails that they had inherited millions of dollars from a distant relative.
   
The ploy was used to get the victims to give up bank account and other personal information that was used to steal their identities. Some were even persuaded to wire money to pay taxes.
   
The victims from across the United States and their banks lost more than $2 million.
   
The men face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of wire fraud conspiracy.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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