Nigerian Police Arrest Two Over 14.7 Million Euros COVID-19 Scam
The Cybercrime Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, INTERPOL, National Central Bureau, Abuja has arrested two suspects for their complicity in a major multi-million Euro COVID-19 related scam.
The arrested suspects were accused of engaging in identity theft, cyber-stalking, cloning of corporate websites amongst other cyber mischiefs to defraud unsuspecting members of the public across the world.
According to the Investigation by INTERPOL Nigeria, the suspects fraudulently obtained the sum of 1.5m Euro and another 880,000 Euro as advanced payment for the supply of COVID-19 PPEs valued at 14.7million Euros from one Mr Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn.
It was gathered that when Mr Freiherr felt disturbed by the non-arrival of the PPEs, he eventually visited the corporate office of ILBN Holdings BV in Holland to inquire reasons for the delay in supplying the items only to find out that the company never did business with him and that the transaction was a scam.
It was gathered that the fraudsters merely cloned the company’s website and falsely presented themselves as representatives of the company before subsequently executing the fraudulent transaction.
Consequently, he reported the case of fraud to the Police in Holland and this led to the arrest of Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder in Holland and investigations extended to Nigeria.
INTERPOL Nigeria said that one Babatunde Adesanya received 498,000 Euro from Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder through his Citibank London account and transferred same to an account number domiciled with a Lagos branch of a leading commercial bank in Nigeria belonging to Musterpoint Investment Nig. Ltd.
While commending the Commissioner of Police, INTERPOL, CP Garba Baba Umar and operatives of INTERPOL Nigeria, Cybercrime Unit for a job well done, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu assured members of the public and the international community of the commitment of the Force to tackling cybercrimes and other transnational crimes.
Adamu, who reiterated that there will be no hiding place for internet fraudsters in the country added that the suspects will be arraigned before a competent court of law soon.