Man who lost $200k in email scam had been groomed

File photo / NZ Herald

A West Coast man who lost $200,000 in an email scam had been extensively groomed via the internet over an extended period before he was fleeced of his money.

Detective senior sergeant Dan Keno, of the Greymouth CIB, said the man had only just reported the scam, although it occurred late last year.

A series of reciprocal emails resulted in the victim -- who is keeping his locality secret -- divulging details to the scammers after their initial contact.

This enabled the scammers to contact him in ways which appeared legitimate, including from what appeared to be an Auckland phone number

"He provided them with some contact phone numbers, which appeared to legitimise it from his point of view," Mr Keno said.

So far it had been "impossible" to trace the country of origin where the scammer was operating.

Mr Keno said there were promises of financial gain as well as the receipt of electronic goods, and

the victim had got himself into debt to meet the scammers' demands.

"It's the old story, really -- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

In this case the "terribly worded emails" suggested that the scammers were not who they were purported to be, Mr Keno said.