Six alleged internet fraud kingpins arrested – SFU

By The Citizen

The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigerian Police Force based in Ikoyi, Lagos on Saturday announced the arrest of six suspected internet fraudsters who specialise in designing fake organisation websites and using same to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

According to a statement by SFU, the suspects who were identified as Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde, Asaolu Victor, Awote Temitope Emax, Fajobi Olalekan, Bolatiri Emmanuel Onaopemipo and Adebomi Oluwatosin, were picked up at different points following a petition by one of the organisations whose websites were cloned.

'A petition dated August 22, 2013, received from OPEC FUND for International Development alleged that a website designed as 'OFID Scholarship Website' with OFID name and logo has been used to defraud innocent Nigerian applicants.

'That in the website, applicants were required to pay N2,500 as an application fee and over 2,000 applicants responded and paid the fees through the First Bank Account Number 2020874607 and Access Bank Account Number 0056941009 with the name OFID WSAS NG. 'The petitioner stated further that it was one of the victims that contacted OFID via facebook, accusing OFID of being complicit in the fraud. The Cybercrime Section of the Unit swung into action and the mastermind of the fraud, one Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde was arrested.

'His arrest led to the arrest of five other syndicate members.  Police investigation so far revealed that over 2,000 applicants paid the sum of N2,500 each into the two banks provided by the suspects and the principal suspect is the only signatory to both accounts,' the statement said.