Cybercrime:EFCC arraigns 58 suspects

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recorded yet another breakthrough in its resolve to check the incidencesof                                                                                                                                                                                                                             economic crimes in the country
It has arraigned fifty-eight (58) persons in connection with advance fee fraud before the Federal High Court in Kaduna presided over by Justice Shuabu Mohammed.
The suspects who were all male, according to a statement signed by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Bbafemi, were arrested in an operation tagged “Operation Cyber Storm1” carried out in the nation’s three geo- political zones of South West, South East and South-  South.
 The accused persons, according to Babafemi, include Kalu Agwara, Emejuru Prince Patrick, Mang Agbai Ude, Mukaila Aina, Maduka Nnamdi sStanley, Oti Gabriel Arinze, Precious Kalu, Onyekwelu Peter Ndigwe, Anan James, Okunwa Christian Udeh, Kazeem Adewale, Abiola Samson, Adigwe Ngozi, Okpere Pullen, James Momoh, Ese Irohoboinose, Yisa Adisa, Odion Kevin, Ojo Solomon Taiwo, Abiodun Bashorun, Churchill J. Essien, Adewunmi Aringbola, Sanusi O. Abdulwasiu, Babajide Lukman, Okeke Oscar Nkem, Elisha Osughe.
Others are, Olasaide Dare, Koiki W. Adewale, Adebowale Muyiwa, Akinde Samson, Imoh Idiong, Ezechukwu Samuel, Sagunwero Allen Ihama, Sunday Oladunjoye, Ubani Felix Uzor, Imonima Kingsley, Emeka Asoanya, Prince Onyechere, Hak Azu Kalu, Muyiwa Odusonya, Anthony Ugwude, Ibini Kayode, Balogun Otaigbe,Prince Iheoma Esionu,Nnachi Ephraim,Dadi Ike ,Chigozirim Nwafor, Adenuga Lateef Olatunji,Ekwebelem Promise, Sorunke Odunayo Smith,Obasi Nwankwo Irem,Presely Omorogbe, James Momoh,Oame Benjamin, Olumide Aluko, and Titus osita Okeke.
They  were cumulatively slammed with more than eighty-five count charge all predicated on internet related fraud, offences based on obtaining by false pretences between Wednesday and Friday last week.
Seven of the accused persons were arraigned on the ground of failure to obtain full particulars of customers, permission of their business premises for the commission of the offences and non- registration of their cyber cafes with the EFCC.                                                                
The offence attracts a term of not more than 20 years and not less than seven  years without an option of a fine if an accused is found guilty.
All the cases have been adjourned to different dates from Friday 5th November to Tuesday 16th  December, 2008 while the accused were ordered remanded in prison custody.

Banker, undergraduates, arrested in $21,600 marriage scam

Hi.

this was in the papers in Nigeria today. please read and give your comments.

alan. www.elovedeceptions.com

 

A staff of a new generation banks, Tobi Adebayo, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his role in a marriage scam involving two undergraduates of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye and a Malaysian lady who was swindled of $21,600.

The prime suspect, Oyewale Jide Akeem, claimed that he met the victim, Susan Choo, on a dating site on the internet and they started chatting. Soon, their chat blossomed into a love affair.

The 18- year old undergraduate who had assumed the identity of a non-existent Mark Park Lofton, an American national resident in Nigeria, said the only condition that the lady gave for the consummation of their romance was that he must be a Christian which he readily met. And to convince his prey about his identity, he downloaded the picture of a tall American from the internet and sent it to the victim in Malaysia.

Choo who is a divorcee with two children was fascinated by the photograph of the white man she saw, and she started dreaming of an enduring relationship. Unknown to her , she was being conned. She stepped up her chats with the ‘white lover’. The online romance got so hot that the victim contemplated coming to Nigeria so they could solemnize the relationship.

She was so carried away that she promised to take her ‘fiance’ to Pastor Temitope Joshua of Synagogue Church of All Nations because, as she claimed, the pastor was known to her. The suspect also promised to take his ‘fiancé’ to a fictitious Pastor Mathew Kalejaiye of non- existent Lifedon Christian Church Lagos.

Now conscious that he had the victim under his spell, Akeem began to release the tricks from his rich arsenal. He started by telling the woman that he would like to visit her in Malaysia before she arrives Nigeria for the marriage and that he would need money for ticket and other travel expenses. Choo swallowed the bait and agreed to send money through Western Union.

At this juncture the fraudster realized that he would need to recruit more people to perfect the scam. He got a ready accomplice in 18- year old Idowu Olukunle Joseph, his childhood friend who is also an undergraduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University. Idowu’s duty was to present his identity card to collect the money being sent by the sucker and take it to Akeem for a commission.

When they realized that the ID card might give them away because of the frequency with which they visited the bank, they changed their strategy. The second suspect, Idowu stole his father’s driver’s license which they used to collect more money in the bank.

Virtual Love Cost Her $12,000

 

Hi. here is another scam story. This one took place in Singapore. read on.

alan. www.elovedeceptions.com

Jamie Ee Wen Wei

Mon, Oct 20, 2008

She had gone on the Web to search for a life partner but his web of lies left her nearly $12,000 poorer.
Last Friday night, the 37-year-old accounts executive, who declined to be named, made a police report after she was cheated by a man she ‘met’ on international dating website match.com

The divorcee with three children told The Sunday Times yesterday she had put up her profile on match.com after hearing success stories from friends and colleagues.

She, too, thought she had found love when two months ago, the man, who went by the username tony7407 and who claimed to be Taiwanese, sent her an e-mail message.

They chatted online daily, occasionally calling each other over the phone too.

The man, claiming to be working in an investment company in Hong Kong, was ‘caring and knowledgeable’.

‘He said we had a future together and I believed him. He even said he was going to visit me in Singapore within the next two weeks,’ she said.

Just as she began to let her guard down, he told her he had lost heavily in the recent stock market crash.

Now eager to help him, she invested $5,500 through a ‘VIP account’ of his client. He promised her it would ‘definitely make money’.

Last Monday, he told her the stock market had rebounded, she had made a huge profit, and that his company would reinvest the profits.

Twenty-four hours later, more good news came: She had made a million dollars.

But to get her money, she had to remit $10,000 in administrative fees. Smooth as ever, when she said she did not have that sum, he said he would borrow it from friends.

Later that day, he claimed to have borrowed about half the money. He also said he would get into trouble if his company knew he had illegally used his client’s account.

Not wanting to see her ‘boyfriend’ in trouble, the woman called her sister, who works in China, to remit $6,100 to him.

But the man failed to log in that afternoon, as he usually did. Now suspecting a scam, the woman called him on the phone. He denied receiving the money.

She then tried to get her sister to stop the fund transfer but it was too late.

Last Friday, she made a police report in Singapore and in Hong Kong but was told that her chances of getting the money back was slim.

‘I was too engrossed in the relationship, and I used my heart to think instead of my head.’

She added: ‘Things on the Internet can’t be trusted. You must be 110 per cent on guard.’