Fraud: EFCC arrests 4 Chinese nationals, 101 others in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 105 suspects, including four Chinese nationals, in a business apartment in the Gudu axis of Abuja over alleged internet fraud.

Its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Friday, January 10, in Abuja.

He said that the suspects were arrested in a sting operation by the commission’s operatives.

Fraud: EFCC arrests 792 Nigerians, Chinese, Filipinos in Lagos edifice

Oyewale said the arrest was part of the anti-graft agency’s ongoing efforts to clean the nation of internet fraud and other acts of corruption.

He said that the suspects, comprising 38 females and 67 males, were arrested on Thursday.

The EFCC spokesman said the suspects were involved in alleged hotel review job scam, targeting victims and hotels in Europe and other parts of the world.

He said that the suspects would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

In a recent landmark raid, the EFCC arrested 792 suspects for their alleged involvement in cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scam.

The suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, in a surprise operation at their hideout, an imposing seven-storey edifice known as Big Leaf Building, on No.7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, following verifiable intelligence received by the Commission.

Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, December 16, 2024, at the Lagos  Zonal Directorate of the Commission, Executive Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, stated that 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Kharzartans, one Pakistani, one Indonesian were arrested during the operation.

The EFCC’s boss,  who spoke through the Director, Public Affairs, EFCC, Commander of the EFCC,  Wilson Uwujaren, further stated that the  foreign nationals used the facility, which could be mistaken for a corporate headquarters of a financial establishment, to train their Nigerian accomplices on how to initiate romance and investment scams and also used the identities of their Nigerian accomplices to perpetrate their criminal activities.

According to him, “All the floors are equipped with high-end desktop computers. On the 5th floor alone, investigators recovered 500 SIM cards of local telcos that were bought for criminal purposes.

“Their Nigerian accomplices were recruited by the foreign kingpins to prospect for victims online through phishing, targeting mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and several others from European countries.

“They usually arm them with desktop computers and mobile devices and create fake profiles for them.

“The Nigerian accomplices are equally provided with logs that allow them access to foreign communication lines and victims, which they chat with on WhatsApp, Instagram and Telegram.”

The Star