LAGOS – The Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) has arrested two suspected internet fraudsters, who allegedly defrauded an American woman of N56 million.
The spokesperson for the unit, Mrs Ngozi Isintume-Agu, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday.
Isintume-Agu said that the gang members specialised in defrauding innocent wealthy foreign women in dire need of husbands.
She said that the unit got a petition through an e-mail from one of such victims, an American citizen resident in New Jersey, USA.
The spokesperson said that the victim claimed she met the first suspect in April 2013 through a dating site.
“The victim claimed they started a relationship which lasted for months until the suspect manipulated and made her to believe that he was in trouble in Nigeria.
“She claimed the suspect requested for some financial assistance and she sent $350,000 U.S. dollars about N56 million to the two account numbers provided by the suspect.
“The account numbers were Skye Bank Account No. 36204796 and Ecobank account No. 04087350 belonging to Faneece Business Services International.
“Police investigation showed that the account holder is the second suspect, who resides at No. A1, Giwa Road, U/Muazu, Kaduna, where he was subsequently arrested.
“His arrest led to the arrest of the principal suspect,’’ Isintume-Agu said.
The spokesperson said that the second suspect, a 42-year-old man, who claimed to be a patent medicine dealer and also runs a Bureau De Change, confessed to the crime.
Isintume-Agu said that the suspect confessed to be the account holder of Faneece Business Services International, who also provided his two bank accounts for the illicit transactions.
She said the police had recovered a heavy duty generating plant, a plot of land on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and two million naira cash which were proceeds from the fraud.
The spokesperson said that effort was being intensified to recover the remaining monies from the complainant.
She said that the suspects would be charged to court. (NAN)
