Yahoo Suspect Nabbed

 hi.

here’s another news item from the newspapers in Nigeria on scammers being arrested. Please read and leave your comments. regards

alan

By Astro Jewoola

Two years after he was involved in a $200,000 scam, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos zone have finally arrested Mr. Blessing Ezeh Chinasa, 34.

He allegedly obtained the money through Western Union Money Transfer and MoneyGram in April, 2005 from the United States of America and the Netherlands through Miss Linda’s accounts in those countries.

According to the petition sent to the anti-graft agency by Linda, “Blessing contacted me saying that he was a member of a charity organisation soliciting for assistance, either in cash or kind, which he claimed would be transferred to the poor and physically challenged persons.”

She stated further that Blessing solicited for large sums of money to process certain funds and, “I gave him what he requested for, through the Western Union Money Transfer and MoneyGram.”

When the anti-graft commission questioned Ezeh, he made some confessional statements. He said: “I am an auto parts dealer but equally neck deep in Yahoo-Yahoo business. A Togolese introduced me into it. He also introduced me to Linda.

“However, Linda did not know my true identity, I introduced myself to her as Barrister John, working for Nafis Law Associates.

“My e-mail address is madamjoyfoundation@yahoo.com with phone No. 08037232304 and 01-474362.”

Trouble emanated between Ezeh and his Togolese friend when he played a fast one on his friend.

An EFCC source told Mid-Week Crime Watch that at least $5,850 has already been recovered from the suspect.

6 Yahoo Boys Jailed 12 Years

Hi. This is a piece from the papers in nigeria today.
it really appears that the authorities are serious about stopping internet scams.
What do you make out of this?
please read on.

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

Six cyber scammers, Bashir Omilogun, Shittu Ahmed, Saliu Ahmed, Oladipupo Wasiu, Dopemu Rasheed and Fatai Ganiu, who defrauded Mrs. Christine Gombert, a French citizen of 17,406 US Dollars have been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by Justice Joseph Oyewole of the Ikeja High Court.

The six men pleaded guilty to a twelve-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery filed against them by the EFCC.

EFCC prosecutor, Barrister Kayode Oni, told the court that on 17 September, 2006, Mrs. Christine Gombert wrote the EFCC that Mr. Bashir Omitogun collected several sums of money from her under the pretence of using it to finance an NNPC contract awarded to him.

The prosecutor told the court that EFCC commenced investigation into the matter and found out that the six accused collected several sums, totalling 17,406 dollars from the petitioner under false pretence.

He also told the court that the first accused also forged a driver’s licence number A2559910 and two Nigerian international passport and presented it as genuine to officials of the Western Union Money Transfer to collect money from the petitioner.

The defence counsel urged the court to have mercy on the accused, saying they pleaded guilty on their own volition to save the time of the court.

He added that the accused had shown remorse for their action and pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.

In his ruling, Justice Oyewole accepted the guilty plea of the accused and found them guilty as charged. He, however, reiterated that justice must take its course to deter others from committing the same offence.

He sentenced them to one year imprisonment each on the twelve counts without option of fine. The sentences will run concurrently and the judge ruled that the sentence shall commenced from the first day of their arraignment in court which is 31 July, 2007.

–kayode fabunmi, the news.

Australians still skittled by Nigerian scams

Hi . I at first couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this story. A conference was actually held on Nigerian scams in Australia. Can you imagine people gathering for the sole purpose of discussing scams?

Well, I guess you must be interested in the proceedings at the conference. here’s the news update I came across.

read on

alan

www.elovedeceptions.com

Sydney – Australians had a giggle earlier this year when lovelorn sheep farmer Des Gregor flew back to Adelaide from west Africa without his luggage, his wallet and more depressingly without the ravishing young bride he had been promised over the internet. Mirth turned to incredulity when they learned that this had been 56-year-old Gregor’s second dose of intercontinental dating dismay. He had earlier returned from Russia without the promised sweetheart and with his money gone.

Speakers at Australia’s first national conference on Nigerian fraud tried to explain the naivety of blokes like Gregor who are shipping money to West Africa at the rate of 2.5 million Australian dollars (2 million US dollars) a month.

Inspector Brian Hay, head of the Queensland Police fraud and corporate crime unit, sees the human tragedy that begins with a reply to an email that often purports to come from a God-fearing banker in Lagos anxious to find a home for millions of dollars.

“We have had people lose businesses, lose their livelihood, commit crime, try to commit suicide,” Hay said. “There are lots of people in the community new to the internet, not knowing the dangers and the threats, going on line and all of a sudden being promised an opportunity that promises the world.”

It’s not just backwoodsmen like Gregor who get fleeced.

Queensland businessman Steven Baker swallowed his pride and admitted to losing 1.3 million Australian dollars (1 million US dollars) trying to get hold of a fictitious 20-million-dollar inheritance.

He flew to Europe three times to meet bogus government officials in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, and was even taken to a bank vault and shown a suitcase full of American dollars he was told was part of the pay-out.

“The professionalism of it is just unbelievable – the paperwork, the officials, going to government departments,” Baker said. “You would think if they were straight-out scammers they wouldn’t have access to government officials and places, and the paperwork with all the stamps.”

Hay explained that scammers play on the better part of our natures: we are naturally trusting, expect the best of people and believe that good things happen.

“Our kids grow up on legends and mythology and fairy tales,” Hay said. “We are conditioned to believe in things we can’t validate and can’t see.”

What also works in favour of the scammers is that there appears to be no victim. The money is there in the bank, the owner dead, and all that’s required is a bit of paperwork to release it and make everyone happy. There is no downside.

Hay explains that the email instantly brings a ray of hope that our dreams can come true.

“When you get emotion involved, logic goes out the window,” he said. “People get very excited. They don’t want to listen to the negatives, the bad things. They want to believe in the good things.”