An e-mail scam designed to con victims into sending money with the false promise of making huge profits has made its way to the UA campus, CCIT officials said.

University of Arizona students and staff have received the e-mail, said Ted Frohling, a Center for Computing and Information Technology security response team member.

A statement released by UA Police Department Cmdr. Brian Seastone said the scam could be sent to anyone who is able to receive e-mail.

It offers the recipient vast sums of money for doing nothing more than being an American resident.

In the e-mails, the sender asks the recipients for their bank account and personal information.

Seastone said there have been no reports of members of the UA community actually falling for the scam, but awareness is key in avoiding the scam.

"Most of the letters aren't alike. They come from a lot of different angles," said Sgt. Rolf Averill, the UAPD detective assigned to investigate the scam.

He said many area police agencies across the nation have been making an effort to thwart the Nigeria-based scam. The investigation is being headed by the United States Secret Service.

One of the e-mails in the scam begins by stating, "We want to transfer overseas $152 million from a prime bank in Africa."

The letter then asks the recipient for a "capable and fit" individual to provide bank account information.

"The whole thing is aimed at trying to lure you in by greed," said Mike Moskitas, resident agent for the Secret Service.

Seastone said the scam was dormant on campus until about six months ago.

Although the Secret Service has set up an office in the Nigerian city of Lagos to increase investigation of the scam, Moskitas said laws in the African country are much different than those in America - making it harder for officials to prosecute.

UAPD advises anyone who may have received the e-mail to not reply, and instead to send the document to the Secret Service at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov.

For any additional information on the scam, the Secret Service has set up a Web site at www.nigerianfraudwatch.org.