Young man docked for scamming US of $8,000 COVID-19 fund

A Nigerian man identified as Collins Samuel has been remanded for defrauding the United States of America of the sum of $8,000.

Samuel, under the guise of being an American citizen, reportedly received the $8,000 offered to citizens of Virginia State under its Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on one count bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Thursday, said investigation revealed that Samuel redeemed the $8,000 benefit through the Bitcoin wallet addresses he got from various cryptocurrency traders.

Justice Mallong adjourned the case till March 22 for determination of his bail application and trial.

Similarly, one Precious Musa was arraigned before the court on three counts of Internet fraud.

Musa was allegedly linked to a series of fraudulent activities that bordered on false representation, identity theft and obtaining by deception.

The EFCC claimed that the defrauded his victim of $17,000. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Mallong remanded him in the custody of the EFCC and adjourned the case till March 18, 2021, for the hearing of his bail application.

Meanwhile, Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has sentenced six Internet fraudsters to various jail terms.

The convicts — Balogun Mojeed, Samuel Adeyemo, Oluwafemi Mojeed, Babatunde Odetunde and Opeyemi Jamiu — were arraigned on an amended count bordering on impersonation.

They pleaded guilty to the charge. According to the EFCC, the offence is contrary to Section 22 (20) (b) (i) and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015.

Justice Abubakar sentenced Balogun and Adeyemo to two months in prison; Oluwafemi and Odetunde were sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, while Jamiu was jailed for four months.

In Abuja, luck ran out on a syndicate of 13 cybercrime suspects on Thursday when operatives of the Abuja zonal office of the EFCC raided their hideouts and apprehended them.

Five of the suspects were reportedly picked up at an N8m-a-year apartment in Gilmore Estate, Jahi, while the other eight were arrested at Katampe Extension.

The EFFC spokesman, Uwujaren in a statement, said the breakthrough followed actionable intelligence on their alleged criminal enterprise.

“Incriminating items recovered from them include iPhones, laptops, gaming consoles, a Toyota Avalon and a Lexus SUV,” he added.