CLEVELAND, March 31 (UPI) -- An Ohio woman and two lawyers duped nine people out of a million dollars in an alleged African inheritance scam, the alleged victims contend in a lawsuit.
The suit filed this week in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court claims Willia Burton of Solon, Ohio, and two attorneys from Baker Hostetler in Cleveland got the victims to pony up the money five years ago to help Burton recover a $14.5 million inheritance from her father left behind in the African country of Burkina Faso, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Wednesday. The nine contend they were promised "a huge return" but they haven't seen any money yet.
The newspaper said Baker Hostetler officials did not return calls seeking comment Tuesday but that Burton's attorney, Mike Nelson, believes she also was a victim. He said the scam likely was perpetrated by fraudsters in Africa, including government officials and bankers.
Nelson said his client relied on Baker Hostetler, where she previously worked as a legal secretary, to confirm her inheritance was on the up and up.
"She's never been to Burkina Faso," Nelson said.
