National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force has arrested two suspects responsible for computer-related fraud, identity theft, cryptocurrency fraud, and obtaining money by false pretence.
The suspects, Odia Theophilus, aged 24, and Ebo Junior Success, aged 25, were nabbed at their hideout in Benin City, Edo State, according to the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
They were said to be running a syndicate which specialized in defrauding unsuspecting victims from foreign countries by taking on identities of other persons and promising their victims romantic relationships, in pretext of which they defraud them.
The FPRO said that a report on their activities was received from Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency in Korea through the Interpol National Central Bureau which said that in May, 2021, the suspects approached the victim, one Baek Seong-hee, a Korean national, via Kakaotalk, a mobile messaging application used majorly in South Korea, in the guise of being a member of the US Armed Forces stationed in Yemen.
“The suspect used the pretext of a romantic relationship and defrauded the victim of 259,637,941 Korean Won (KRW) worth of cryptocurrency equivalent to about 91 million Nigerian Naira.
“Subsequent investigations led the NPF-NCCC to the arrest of the duo. They confessed to being part of a syndicate responsible for these crimes and stated their roles as accomplices who provide bank accounts for fraudsters in furtherance of their nefarious activities,” Adejobi revealed.
He said that the suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, lauded the efforts of the Head, NPF-NCCC, DCP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, in ensuring a clampdown on cybercrime related offences.
The IGP also extolled the collaboration being enjoyed with other police agencies worldwide via the Interpol NCB platform, stressing its importance in tackling transnational crimes.
