The Uyo Zonal Office of the Eonomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday September 2, 2019, arrested six suspected internet fraudsters, who specialize in hacking into Facebook accounts of unsuspecting victims and defraud persons in the compromised accounts’ contact list. .
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They were arrested in a two-bedroom apartment, located on No. 54 Church Road, Off Calabar Itu Expressway, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, following intelligence report on their nefarious activities.
The all-male suspects are: Lawrence Nnamdi-Mba Ebesike; Prince E. Udeh; Chijioke Victor; Promise Odimba; Ugbor Ifeanyi and Prince Anthony, all within 22 and 29 years age bracket. .
During interrogation, the suspects said the apartment which serve as their home and office was rented by their leader, Ebesike. They stated that they have only made about $4,000,00 (Four thousand United States Dollars) from cyber fraud.
Ebesike who claimed to be a musician with the stage name “Lawre Blue” confessed to the crime and gave a detailed account of how they carry out their operations on Facebook. .
“I am into internet fraud. Part of how I operate is that I edit Facebook accounts, go to Google and search for pictures of United State military personnel. I download some of these pictures and put them on my fake Facebook accounts. After doing that, I target foreigners, mostly old white women who are in need of men. I stay online all day trying to befriend them. After convincing them, I will make them apply for my leave so that I can see them,” Ebesike confessed.
He further revealed that the syndicate has a US-based partner, named Benjamin Best, whom he said provides them with the account where their victims make payments into.
“After convincing my victims, Benjamin will provide an account for me to give them to pay the money into. He usually takes his commission before sending mine to me,” he said.
