Tobias Sylvester
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a female internet fraudster wanted by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over $46 million fraud and money laundering case.
The FBI had announced a massive bust of about 80 Nigerian internet fraud who are charged with cybercrime-related offences amounting to over $46 million.
The unnamed female suspect, who was arrested in Edo State, was said to have been collaborating with fraudsters outside Nigeria.
The Head of Benin Zonal Office, Muhtar Bello, who spoke on behalf of Acting Chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu, said the female suspect was involved in obtaining and stealing people’s identification information which she forward to her American collaborators.
Bello said that when the information is sent to the US by the lady, it is used to file for fraudulent tax by her collaborators.
He revealed that the suspect receives her own share through bitcoin rather than through wire transfer to avoid being detected. Bello said:
“American collaborators use the information to file for fraudulent tax return with the Internal Revenue Service, She receives her cut through Bitcoin”
“About 185 Bitcoin which by current market value is six hundred and fifty-six million, three hundred and seventy-one thousand, four hundred and ninety naira (N656,371,490) has been traced to her.
“The Commission is resolute in exterminating cybercrime and bringing to book all those involved in this despicable activity. We have also operation rewire in Edo.”
He said the command confiscated over forty exotic cars, charms, laptops, mobile phones, flash drives from the suspects and has also raided the hideout of internet fraudsters in ”our jurisdiction-Edo, Delta and Ondo States.”
