The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal
Office, Oyo State, on Friday arrested two suspects, Egbedayo Semilore and
Elijah Jeremiah, over Internet fraud. One of the suspects, Semilore,
allegedly lured unsuspecting women into Internet romance with the intent to
defraud them of large sums of money. He targeted victims who live abroad
mostly.
To deceive his victims, Semilore posted online
photographs of two American army officers, Sergeant Shaft Pagan and Perrie
Edingson, who are allegedly serving in Afghanistan.
He allegedly collected the sum of N4m in installments from
her last victims living in the United States.
During interrogation, Semilore confessed to have engaged in
the romance scam for a while. He said he sustained his flamboyant lifestyle and
bought himself a 2010 Lexus car which he registered in his mother’s name.
The EFCC said when his mother was contacted, she told
operatives of the commission that she was aware of her son’s criminal
activities on the Internet as he was always working on his laptop.
The EFCC said it had recovered three identity cards bearing
different names and biodata, a 2010 Lexus car with number plate SMK 475 EH, two
laptops and one Blackberry Passport phone from Semilore. Several love
scam mails were also found and downloaded from his laptops.
Twenty nine-year-old Jeremiah on the other hand, claimed to
be the fashion director of Datsol Industries Limited.
The EFCC said the suspect, who lived at No 3, Adeniyi
Avenue, old Bodija, Ibadan, was living a flamboyant life before his arrest.
A statement from the commission said Jeremiah stayed indoors
mostly surfing car auction sites on the Internet. The statement said Jeremiah
would make online purchase of items from China and pay with fictitious letters
of credit.
In his confessional statement to the commission, Jeremiah
said he downloaded Letter of Credit purportedly issued by Scotia Online
Financial Services of Scotia Bank Worldwide from Google and edited them to suit
his transactions with which he paid for the purchases.
Unaware of his antics, the auctioneers often fell victim by
shipping the goods to him ahead of the confirmation of payment.
One laptop, three Internet modems, one iPhone, two Nokia
mobile phones, passport, forged Union Bank statement of account with Nigerian
Uniform Bank Account Number 10141411389 for Datsol Industries Limited and
an envelope containing several documents were recovered from him.
The statement said the suspects would be arraigned in court
as soon as investigation is completed.
0 Comments