Fraudsters (2)

Three suspected Internet fraudsters have been arrested by officers of the Ondo State Police Command for allegedly duping two people of a sum of $20,000 dollars.

The three suspects: Olutoba Alade, Ezekiel Bepo, and Temitope Arowosegbe, were arrested based on a tip-off from members of the public. The Command's spokesperson, Adeniran Aremu, while parading the suspects yesterday, said they were arrested along Olu Foam area of Akure metropolis by a team from the state CID who stormed the building last week.

Some of the items recovered from the suspects were two laptops, ten flash drives, and documents being used to dupe unsuspected people on the Internet. Also recovered from them were a Toyota Camry, Toyota Solara, and a Liberty Jeep.

Mr Aremu pointed out that the fraudsters confirmed that the vehicles were the proceeds of their cyber crimes. While being interrogated, the suspects confirmed that they duped a foreigner of a sum of $20,000 which they used to purchase the cars..

They said they were lured into the business by one of their friends who is still at large. Mr Bepo said his gang have been in the business for over ten four years. "We have been doing this Internet fraud for over for years," he said. "We have not been that lucky, not until recently when we duped a white man of about $20,000. Immediately we realized the money, we went for shopping and we got three cars for ourselves."

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The fraud was perpetrated through the collaboration of Accounting, Audit and Circulation sales staff over the last one year.

The police have arrested seven of the suspects, while two of the ringleaders – Messrs Dirisu Andrew Eshorame from Okpella in Edo State and Sola Popoola from Okemesi in Ekiti State - are at large.

Dirisu was the newspaper’s Kakawa, Lagos Island, Sales Representative, while Popoola was its Sales Auditor at the Account Department.

The fraud was carefully carried out by the suspects who had been stealing the organisation’s newspaper sales proceeds using fake bank tellers.

In a petition to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Apapa Police Station, Apapa, Lagos, the organisation’s Managing Director, Mr. Eniola Bello, said: “On Wednesday April 28, 2010 a routine check of the account where our newspaper sales are deposited in GTBank showed some discrepancy in what was sold and what was actually paid in from our Kakawa sales point.”

Bello explained that on getting a query about the discrepancy in the payment, Dirisu quickly paid N1 million two days after he should have deposited the money into the account.

Also, Dirisu, Popoola and others paid another N10.8 million, triggering suspicion by senior management.

The suspicion led to investigation which uncovered massive fraud, showing that they had been stealing between N10 - N20 million per week by using fake bank tellers..

Furthermore, it was discovered that in Lagos Island alone, N175 million has been stolen from Kakawa sales point since January this year.

Bello therefore requested the police to assist the newspaper in apprehending Popoola, whose last known address was 9 Idowu Williams Street, Off Toyin Bus Stop, Agbado Road Iju Ishaga, Lagos.

In addition, the paper’s MD asked the police to apprehend Dirisu whose last known address was 30 Ogunbowale Street, Ilasamaja Lagos.

Bello added that THISDAY believes that both Popoola and Dirisu are in a good position to name others involved in the fraud.

The MD also called on members of the public who have information about the suspects to furnish the police with same.

Meanwhile, up to seven accounting and sales staff have been arrested and are currently facing questions.
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