Latvia is seeking information about a fictitious bank "using an address in Bermuda" and other companies that were allegedly used to defraud a Connecticut resident of US$151,730.

Details are contained in an application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence "pursuant to a request for judicial assistance from Latvia" that was filed at the US District Court for the District of Delaware on March 19, according to online newsletter OffshoreAlert.

A resident of Norwalk, Connecticut had two online accounts with OptionsExpress, a Chicago-based online broker, according to the request for assistance.

On April 25, 2005, the account-holder discovered there had been unauthorised access and that "unknown persons used his username and password and did money transferrals from his account", it was claimed.

It was found that, from March 9, 2005 to April 25, 2005, $151,730 had been illegally transferred from his account at The Bancorp Bank, which is a FDIC-insured online commercial bank with an address of 405 Silverside Road, Suite 105, Wilmington, Delaware, to an e-gold account in the name of "Bancorp Bank", using an address of Reid House, 31 Church Street, Hamilton, Bermuda, it was alleged.