The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Internet fraud

  • Why I planned my boss’ kidnap – Suspect

    A young man arrested by the police for allegedly kidnapping his boss’ brother, Alvin Onuoha, has said he did it because they sidelined him on a $30,000 deal.

    Uchenna Eze, a native of Imo State, was paraded yesterday alongside his alleged accomplice, Vincent Uchenna by Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal.

    Edgal said the suspects and four others at large, committed the offence around 5:20pm, on April 6, at Ajah.

    He said the suspects bundled Onuoha into a Toyota Camry saloon car, while he was about entering their compound.

    Edgal said: “Onuoha was returning from work and on getting to the front of his gate, he was kidnapped by six men operating in a Toyota Camry and a motorcycle. He was taken to an unknown destination.

    “Two of the suspects were arrested when they went to collect the N200,000 ransom they demanded for the victim’s release. During interrogation, the mastermind of the kidnapping, Eze Douglas Uchenna, confessed to have stayed with the victim in the same house. “He stated further that the sum of $30,000 was initially demanded as ransom for the release of the victim before they reduced it to N200, 000. Investigation into the matter is ongoing.”

    However, Eze said they only wanted to get his money from his boss, who was in the habit of denying him his share of their loots from swindling.

    He said: “We were into Yahoo business (internet fraud) and he said whenever we made money, it would be shared on 60/40 percent. I agreed and brought businesses to him but each time money came out, he would deny me my 40 percent.

    “The first one we did together, we made $4,300. Instead of giving me my share, he gave me N300, 000. I still stayed with him and kept bringing my jobs to him. I finished another work and handed over the details to him so he can follow up with payment.

    “The work paid $30,000 but he kept telling me they haven’t pay. So, one of the guys who used to live with us in my boss’ room called me from Philippines and told me that my work had paid and that I was a rich man now.

    “I went to my boss and asked him how far with the payment and he said nothing for me. That I was in place to learn work and not to collect money. They started treating me somehow and since I was afraid for my life, I left the house in October last year. I slept inside tricycle for months until I met my friend, Vincent and he introduced me to his friend, Matthew, who helped us in getting his soldier friend and some other boys to pick the man up.

    “I never demanded $30,000. I demanded N200, 000 ransom. I only mentioned the $30,000 so that I’ll know if the man will open up.”

    Read Also: Court remands farmer over alleged kidnap of girl, N4m ransom demand

  • ‘Poor salary pushed me to internet fraud’

    ‘Poor salary pushed me to internet fraud’

    A 27-year-old graduate of Statistics from Anambra State University, Uli, Anambra State, Henry Ushie, arrested for internet fraud by the operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has blamed his criminal activities on poor salary.

    Ushie told The Nation on Tuesday at the Lagos office of IRT that his father, a serving top police officer, refused to secure his release because he had vowed not to ever come for his release if he was caught again after he was remanded in prison for the same offence in 2015.

    He said: “When I was rounding up (sic) my National Youth Service in Jalingo, Taraba State, my father was happy and was expecting me back.

    I saved money from the N18,000 monthly allowance they were paying me for serving and N15,000 monthly salary I was being paid as personal assistant to one of the Corps Commanders of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Taraba State, where I did my primary assignment.

    ‘’Unfortunately, one of my friends who was in 200 level when I was in school named Stanley Onwuka was arrested at Ubi Campus for a fraud related case. When he was asked to list his friends he put my name and police went to my father to ask of my whereabouts.

    ‘’My father being a serving police officer who does not want to hear that any of his children is involved in fraud called me to come back, and explain what I knew about what they were alleging.

    ‘’When I came back, he took me to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who came to look for me. They joined me with two other suspects and charged us to court for internet fraud.

    ‘’Luckily we were granted bail at N40,000 with reasonable surety and three years tax clearance among other demands. My father could not perfect my bail that day, hence, I was remanded in prison custody. I was released on November 2016 after the perfection of my bail.

    Continuing, he said: ‘’I told my father that I would look for legal means of surviving and promised him that I will not go back to internet fraud or any other kind of crime. I started looking for job and I got employment in a pure water company Ihiala. They started paying me N5, 000 only as I was still under probation. They promised to be paying me N8, 000 monthly after my one month probation. Initially I was not worried about the poor salary because I used to trek from house to the company because I had no money to transport myself to work.

    ‘’As time went on I began to feel demoralized with the poor salary because it was not enough to take care of my needs not to talk of helping my junior brothers and sisters as the first son of our family.

    One day, I got up from my bed and told my father that I would be travelling to Enugu, to look for better employment. Though my father believed me and wished me both journey mercies and good employment and mercy of God, I failed him.

    ‘’He did not know that I lied to him because, instead of going to Enugu I diverted to Asaba, Delta State and went to squat with one of my friends to enable me stay there and search for job. Unfortunately life was becoming harder and employment of any kind was nowhere to be found. I started thinking on how to survive. One day I saw an article on the internet. It said that some police officers would be traveling to some foreign countries in Africa for peace mission. I started researching on how to make money out of the programme. This made me to open  a facebook account.

    ‘’When I opened a facebook account, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Abba Kyari, the Commander of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team people started chatting with me as ACP Abba Kyari whereas I have not seen Abba Kyari in life. I had been hearing his great performance in crime fighting but I have not met him on one-on-one. I later got his picture from the internet.

    ‘’Some people were telling me that they want to go to another state. They were all serving policemen. I told them that I could do it but it would cost some money. I pegged it to N6,000 each. My friend’s junior brother named Uzoma helped me to open an account in Zenith Bank. The account name is Ifedirichukwu Chinonso Benjamin. My bank account number is in my phone. I don’t know it off hand.

    ‘’Three policemen became victims, one who wanted to be in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, paid N10,000. The one who wanted to go to Benue paid N6,000 while one who said anywhere was good paid N6,000. My trouble started when I read a lot about Kyari and what he said on facebook, that some criminals have started using his name in facebook and that the general public should be careful.

    ‘’I tried to log in again and the facebook account was disabled which is in line with facebook policy. I tried to open retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Mbu facebook it failed because they asked for verification of my real picture, driving license or the national Identity card. I also tried to impersonate the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Emmanuel Iyang. Though it worked but I got only one victim who paid N36,000 to assist him to go for peace keeping. After him I could not get another victim because they continued to block my account. I also tried to impersonate female army captain. I got her picture from the internet. Soldiers were to become victims but verification of my picture failed because she is a woman.’’

    “On the 2nd November 2017, I went out to cut my hair. As I was coming back with two of my friends I got a phone call from a girl I was proposing to marry. She told me that if I had chance we should see. I told her let us see at the hotel close to our house in ten minutes time as I would be coming out with my two friends to go and drink at the hotel bar and charge my phone.

    She said she would be with me in a minute. I waited for two hours. The next thing I saw were policemen in vest with the inscription IGP IRT operatives. They ordered everybody in the bar to lie face down.

    ‘’When they said we should raise our faces, I raised my face and they said I was the one they were looking for. They picked me and my two friends Chimezie and Chibuzor. Both were later released at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Asaba, as there was nothing that linked them to the case.

    ‘’I knew that what I was doing was criminal but I continued to do it because of frustration. If I am released I will go and seek for legal job no matter how small the salary will be. I have advanced diploma in ICT and Computer Maintenance at NC Computers Sources Limited at Ihiala, Anambra State.’’

    Ushie however denied impersonating Ministers and industrialists saying:  “I just started. I have not gone to that length. Like I told you, some scams I tried failed. It is the Kyari own that busted everything. So, it would not have been possible for me to have reached that extent within a few days I have practiced internet fraud, the facebook fraud to be specific. I can’t lie to you.

    The police said the phone, SIM cards and ATM card used to commit the crime had been recovered from the suspect.

     

  • Three Nigerians convicted in U.S. for Internet fraud

    Accused face 115, 95, 25 years in jail

    Three Nigerians have been convicted by a United States (U.S.) federal jury for wide-ranging Internet fraud schemes.

    A statement by Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi named them as Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30, Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31 and Femi Alexander Mewase, 45.

    The accused, who were extradited from South Africa to the Southern District of Mississippi in July 2015, were found guilty on Wednesday.

    The statement from the Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, said: “Oladimeji Seun Ayelotan, 30, was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, access device fraud, and theft of U.S. government funds, two counts of mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.”

    “Ayelotan faces up to 95 years in prison.

    “Rasaq Aderoju Raheem, 31 was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit identity theft, access device fraud and theft of U.S. government funds, three counts of mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

    “Raheem faces up to 115 years in prison.

    “Femi Alexander Mewase, 45, was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit identity theft, access device fraud and theft of U.S. government funds.

    “Mewase faces up to 25 years in prison.

    “Sentencing for all three is set for May 24 in the Southern District of Mississippi.”

    Trial testimony and evidence presented in the three-week trial showed that “the defendants participated in numerous complex Internet-based financial fraud schemes, including romance scams, re-shipping scams, fraudulent check scams and work-at-home scams, as well as bank, financial, and credit card account takeovers”.

    The statement added: “From as early as 2001, the defendants identified and solicited potential victims through online dating websites and work-at-home opportunities.

    “In some instances, the defendants carried on fictitious online romantic relationships with victims for the purpose of using the victims to further objectives of the conspiracy. “

    According to court records, 21 defendants were charged in the case.

    They were: Adekunle Adefila, 41 (Nigerian); Anuoluwapo Segun Adegbemigun, 40 (Nigerian); Gabriel Oludare Adeniran, 30 (Nigerian); Genoveva Farfan, 45 (California, U.S.); Rhulane Fionah Hlungwane, 26 (South African); Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30 (Nigerian); Dennis Brian Ladden, 75 (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Olutoyin Ogunlade, 41 (New York, U.S.).

    Others were: Taofeeq Olamilekan Oyelade, 32 (Nigerian); Olufemi Obaro Omoraka, 27 (Nigerian); and Olusegun Seyi Shonekan, 34 (Nigerian).

    The statement claimed that the defendants pleaded guilty to related conspiracy charges.

    Susan Anne Villeneuve, 49, of California, U.S., is awaiting trial.

  • EFCC arraigns five students for internet fraud

    EFCC arraigns five students for internet fraud

    •Suspects get N5m bail each

    Five suspended students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) have been arraigned on a 53-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents and forgery.
    They were arraigned at a Federal High Court, Akure, Ondo State capital, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Thursday but were granted bail at a resumed hearing yesterday.
    In his ruling on application for bail, Justice Abdu Dogo admitted the first to fifth defendants to bail of N5 million each with one surety.
    The suspects are Adeleke Paul Fasakin (21); Ogundile Ademola James Olasunkanmi (23); Abudu Adeniyi Tayo (a.k.a) Kolawole Tajudeen (20); Ifeobu Ugochukwu (21) and Olusola Franklin Akusanmi (21).
    When the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty.
    In view of their plea, the prosecution counsel, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, asked the court for a trial date and prayed that the accused be remanded in prison custody.
    But counsel to the first accused A. C. Ajakaye told the court that he had a pending application dated January 11, which has not been served on the prosecution and prayed the court to allow him move the motion for bail.
    Similarly, counsel to the second accused Rotimi Olorunfemi, counsel to the third accused Kayode Akinwunmi, counsel to the fourth accused Toyese Owoade and counsel to the fifth defendant Adetunji Oso all aligned themselves with Ajakaye’s submission and prayed the court to allow them move the bail application of the second, third, fourth and the fifth accused persons.
    The case was adjourned till February 16 for trial.
    Fasakin, who also goes by the name “Tsunami Gang and Young Pablo Money” and the co-accused were arrested in July 2015, following series of intelligence gathering by security operatives.
    The suspected internet fraudsters allegedly swindled unsuspecting foreigners and others to the tune of N16 million.

  • Internet fraud: FUTA suspends four students in EFCC net

    The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) has indefinitely suspended four students of the institution arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N16 million internet fraud.

    The EFCC arrested five suspects – four from FUTA and one from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, (AAUA), on Monday.

    The suspects were arrested at  an Off- Campus residence  located at Anuoluwapo Close, Stateline Hotel Road, off FUTA South Gate, Akure, Ondo.

    A statement issued by the Head, Information and Protocol Unit of FUTA, Mr. Adegbenro Adebanjo, said the Vice Chancellor of the university approved the sanction.

    The statement said: “The four students, who have been given indefinite suspension and are to stay away from the school until further notice are – Ogundile A.O (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Fasakin  P.T (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Akinsanmi F.O (Mathematical Sciences), and Ifeobu U.O (Urban & Regional Planning).

    “In a letter conveying the suspension, the university said the Vice Chancellor approved the sanction based on the extant rules which stipulate indefinite suspension for students arrested and being investigated for criminal activities.

    “This is in accordance with the provisions of the University Handbook of Information 2012-2015 page 54, paragraph 5(i) which states that, whenever a student is being investigated for a criminal offence by the police or is charged with a criminal offence; whether or not connected with the university; the student shall be suspended from his studentship until he/she is cleared of the allegation/charge.”

     

  • Man jailed two years for internet love scam

    A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja Wednesday sentenced a man to two years imprisonment for defrauding two American women by posing as their white lover.

    Justice Kudirat Jose convicted Ibobo Frank alias James Simmons after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of possession of documents containing false pretence, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    In an amended information dated February 2016, EFCC counsel, Mr. A. A. Adebayo, told the court that the Commission received a petition from “a concerned Nigerian”, who refused to disclose his identity, “that a group of small boys living at different apartments located at Westwood Estate, Lekki, Ajah, Badore in Lagos, were living far beyond their means of livelihood.”

    He said after carrying out preliminary investigation, EFCC operatives swooped on Westwood Estate on January 7, and arrested Frank.

    The prosecutor added that at the time of the arrest Frank had, “in your possession, with intent to defraud, email conversations sent between September 24 and December 18, 2014, containing false information wherein you represented yourself as a white man to one Nancy Rooley.”

    He said Frank was also found in possession of email conversations sent between December 15 and 27 “containing a false pretence wherein you represented yourself as James Simmons, a white man purportedly in love with one Shirley Davis.”

    Confronted with the evidence, Frank admitted the charges and entered a plea bargain with the anti-graft agency.

    Before he was sentenced, defence counsel Tokunbo Olawuyi made an allocutus on behalf of his client.

    He said: “Frank is a young man in his twenties and a first time offender. He was abandoned by his father at infancy and is the sole breadwinner of an aged mother and a two-year old son. He fell into bad company because he had no fatherly figure to guide him in life and he has now fully seen the error in his ways.”

    Justice Jose warned Frank against going back to crime and pronounced judgment on him.
    She said: “The defendant is sentenced to a term of two years imprisonment to take effect from January 6, 2015, the date the defendant was arrested and detained by the EFCC.

    “The defendant shall undertake to be of good behaviour upon regaining his freedom.”

     

  • CBN will curb internet fraud, says director 

    CBN will curb internet fraud, says director 

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will ensure that e-payment fraud is reduced,  CBN Director, Banking and Payments System Department,  ‘Dipo Fatokun, has said.

    Speaking during the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) Bi-Monthly Forum in Lagos he said the Payments System Vision 2020 launched in 2013, was meant to re-organise the National Payments Governance Structure and encourage more people to embrace e-payment.

    Fatokun, would represented by the CBN Deputy Director,  Banking and Payments System Department, Musa Jimoh, said  the project identified agriculture, smart cities, health, transportation, hotels, entertainment, government flow, education and Consumer Bill Payment and direct debits as focus areas.

    He explained that the absence of a unique identifier in the banking industry would have  negative consequences on the growth of e-payments . He said there was need to resolve the challenge that prompted CBN, in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee to launch the Bank Verification Number (BVN) project. The project, he said, would help build confidence on the e-payment channels and enhance integrity of transactions.

    “The BVN initiative is aimed at protecting bank customers and further strengthening the Nigerian banking system by uniquely identifying all bank customers and acts as a stop-gap, prior to the full implementation of the National Identity Card system,” he said.

    Also, the CBN has mandated all Banks, Switches and Processors to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCIDSS). It has conduct an oversight on compliance which showed that most banks had been certified.

    The certification lasts for one year, adding that banks are currently at various levels of re-certification. He explained that PCIDSS is a global compliance standard for any entity that stores, transmits or processes card payment data.

    CBN, Fatokun said, also directed banks to set up systems that will enable the automatic refund of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) dispense errors to customers. The regulator has also issued guidelines for card issuance and usage meant to provide   minimum   standards   and       requirements for the issuance and usage of payment cards in the country.

    “Its implementation enables issuing banks, other financial institution, processors and cards schemes upgrade and maintain  their card  operations  to  ensure  optimum  security,  efficiency, cost effectiveness and customer friendliness,” he said.

  • Artistes gang up against internet fraud

    Artistes gang up against internet fraud

    Nigerian superstars, Ice Prince, Phyno and Olamide have teamed up for a social awareness cause as they collaborate on a song titled Get Some Money.

    The song, according to information, is an initiative of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, a social enterprise that connects Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities.This organisation is currently working on a project called #DigitalJobs which aims to provide tens of thousands of Nigerian youths with legitimate jobs on the internet.

    In order to make this objective a reality, they have gotten some of the biggest stars in Nigerian music to encourage Nigerian youths to embrace the #DigitalJobs project and desist from Internet fraud.

    Information also has it that Get Some Money will be officially released today by 12pm at Paradigm Initiative Nigeria’s social media week Conference tagged “#SMWLAGOSEXPLORE With PIN! Behind The Scene”.

  • Banks lose N40b to internet fraud, says CBN

    Banks lose N40b to internet fraud, says CBN

    Money deposit banks (MDBs) in Nigeria lost a total of N40 billion to internet fraudsters last year, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said.

    Speaking yesterday at the National Cyber Security Forum (NCSF 2014) organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Lagos, its  Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Taiwo Longe lamented that the financial cost of cybercrimes to the world is about $288billion which far exceeds that of illicit drugs.

    According to him, the criminal elements perpetrate their trade using web phishing, network intrusion, emails and others, adding that every organisation must have a security blueprint in place which it will use to manage its security. He added that there is need for proper information security management to reduce ‘vulnerability and risk’ of attack.

    “Information security assurance is the process of protecting and defending information by ensuring its confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA),” he said, adding that COBIT, FISMA, NIST, NIPAA and PCI are some of the initiatives that have helped boost security of transaction.

    He said with the growing threat of cybercriminals, the need for policy framework to address the menace has become more imperative now than ever before. He added that awareness is another key element in driving the process of fighting cybercrimes because people must be aware of the potential risk they face so that they could take precautionary measures.

    Longe urged MDBs not to rest on their oars because the criminal elements are always ahead of them in the game.

    He said the CBN has put in place what he called ‘Defence Indepth’ consisting people, process and technology, stressing that the measure secures information at multiple levels.

    Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director, Teledon Group, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem warned that banks, telcos, cards, aviation industry and even the military could fall victim of cybercriminals who could hack into their servers and compromise their data.

    He said the cyber space is now as important as the physical space, adding that government should expedite action on the passage into law of the cybercrimes bills pending before the National Assembly.

    According to Ekuwem, Nigeria’s territorial integrity is no longer limited to its sea and land borders but its cyberspace. He urged the Federal Government to appoint someone to head the cyber security department just as there are people heading all the armed forces of the federation.

    He said cyber security threat arising from the digitalisation process of the National broadcasting Commission (NBC) is real and called on the political class to muster the political will to address the problem once and for all.

  • Internet fraud: Court orders seizure of undergraduate’s cars

    AN Ikeja High Court in Lagos has granted an order for an interim forfeiture of three expensive cars belonging to a 28-year-old undergraduate, Lawrence Orimogunje.

    Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo granted the order while ruling on an ex parte application brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The exotic cars are a Nissan Infinity G35 with registration number EP150 ABJ, a Chrysler 300 with registration number OLD – 01 and a Range Rover Sport with registration number OLD-03.

    The EFCC  had charged Orimogunje with forgery and possession of false documents.

    In his ruling, the judge held that Orimogunje’s lifestyle was not commensurate with what he was earning as a student of Lead City University, Oyo State.

    Lawal-Akapo said no  conclusive proof is needed for the order to be granted.

    This, according to him was because “Sections 28 and 29 of the EFCC Act of 2004 empower the commission to confiscate any property suspected to have been acquired through fraudulent means.

    The judge consequently directed the EFCC to seize the cars pending the conclusion of the trial.

    The EFCC counsel, Mrs Anita Imo, who moved the application for the forfeiture of the properties of the defendant, had earlier said it was brought pursuant to Sections 28 and 29 of the EFCC Act.

    Imo argued that the cars were acquired through suspected Internet fraud activities and urged the court to grant the forfeiture order.

    Orimogunje was arraigned on February15, on a 16-count charge of forgery and possession of false documents.

    The EFCC said the accused was arrested on December 24, 2012 in Lagos for being in possession of various documents used for facilitating internet fraud.

    He had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted a N1 million bail, with two sureties in like sum.

    Justice Lawal-Akapo, however  adjourned the matter till March 18, 2014.