We arrested 167 fraudsters, recovered $169,000 in 21 days – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday said its
collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation has led to
the arrest of 167 Nigerians for alleged computer-related
frauds.

The Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, stated
this in Lagos through his representative, Mr Mohammed Abba, the
commission’s Director of Operations.

Magu said that the just concluded coordinated operations with
the FBI tagged: ‘Operation Rewired’, also resulted in the recovery
of the sum of 169,850 dollars as well as N92 million.

He also said that four exotic cars, plots of land in choice
areas in Lagos and a property in Abuja were also recovered during
the operations.

“Being an international model operation targeted at
computer-related frauds, the EFCC, FBI collaborative operations,
spanning three weeks, was designed to intercept and interrupt the
global network of internet fraudsters.

“Before now, we had relentlessly launched intensive
investigative actions against the infamous ‘yahoo yahoo boys’,
culminating into various strategic raids, onslaught on criminals
hideout, prosecutions and convictions.

“Our efforts in collaborating and coordinating the EFCC, FBI
joint operations in Nigeria recorded tremendous successes leading
to a number of arrests, seizures and recoveries.

“The suspected fraudsters arrested in the course of the
operation will be persecuted accordingly,” he said.

Magu, therefore, urged the media to continue to help in
mobilising and educating all critical stakeholders on the need to
support the fight against economic and financial crimes.

He said the society owes the youths that social responsibility
of awakening their consciousness to the importance of a noble life
devoid of crimes.

“I wish to state with a high sense of responsibility, there is
no short cut to success other than hard work.

“The youths, therefore, must shun crime and its alluring
temptations, because it will always end in sorrow and regrets.

“Now that the infamous internet crimes have received global
attention and concern, there will be no hiding place for
fraudsters,” he said.

Magu said that the EFCC would continue to partner with the FBI
and other international law enforcement agencies, especially in the
area of exchange of information and actionable intelligence.

He said that this would reduce the menace of cybercrime and
other computer-based frauds in the country.

Also speaking, Mr Uche Ahamdi, Legal Attaché, FBI, Abuja said
that IC3; FBI’s global reporting internet fraud body received
20,373 Business E-mail Compromised (BEC) complaints with losses of
over 1.2 billion dollars.

“The FBI and law enforcement partners in the US and abroad
implemented a strategy to target and disrupt these scammers and
illicit actors and dismantle international fraudulent BEC
transactions.

“The sweep ran from May through September during a four week
period primarily in the U.S., Nigeria, Ghana, Turkey, France,
Italy, UK, Japan, Kenya and Malaysia.

“This was done in accordance to the efforts to dismantle
international fraudulent BEC transactions and pursue organised
criminal enterprises that target and harm American businesses,” he
said.

Ahamdi said that the global goal of the operation was to send a
message to all who participated in the BEC scheme that they would
be caught and prosecuted regardless of where they were located.

“The operation leveraged resources from across the FBI, which
enabled it to bring the sum total of FBI cyber organised crime and
money laundering expertise to bear on dismantling the criminal
enterprise.

“The surge of resources for this operation will serve as a
centre piece for future cybercriminal strategy in moving forward,”
he said.

Ahamdi thanked the EFCC for their continued and sustained
partnership in the fight to end cyber crime across the globe.

(NAN)