Fraud

By Rabiu Sirajo Toro

How hackers manage to compromise people’s accounts, particularly on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and especially WhatsApp, and often send messages to the contacts of the account owner, requesting money for account details that do not match the owner’s name is baffling.

They frequently claim that network glitches or limits have been exceeded to justify their requests.

This situation has occurred multiple times, yet people seem to overlook it. It’s essential to consider the different account details compared to the owner’s, as well as the context in which the message is written.

Some messages might be the first communication between two individuals, leading the recipient to act without hesitation. Instead of questioning or calling the person for confirmation, they may decide to send money immediately.

We must remain vigilant regarding anything related to money and property, as scammers are becoming more prevalent.

Many people are looking for quick and questionable wealth by any means possible.The first time I received such a message from someone of high status, I promptly contacted the owner of the phone number and discovered that I was the first person to inform her about the incident.

Whenever you receive a message that seems abnormal in your daily chats, especially one that involves a request for money, it is crucial to call that person for confirmation if you can’t ignore it.

For added security, anyone you are involved in business with or who might send you money should always confirm transactions first, preferably through phone calls rather than platforms alone or physical meetings are preferable for any monetary exchange.

We must make an effort to remember these incidents and protect ourselves from scammers.

Rabiu Sirajo wrote in from Toro Local Government Area in Bauchi State.

By Uzair Adam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought charges against two individuals, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, accused of impersonating the commission’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in an attempt to extort $1 million from former Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Mohammed Bello-Koko.

The Daily Reality gathered that the suspects appeared on Wednesday before Justice Jude Onwuebuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja.

According to EFCC reports, Joshua and Hashim allegedly contacted Bello-Koko, claiming they could influence a supposed investigation against him.

They demanded $1 million to secure favorable treatment, threatening him with arrest and prosecution if he did not comply.

The defendants face a four-count charge under the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, which includes allegations of impersonation and attempted fraud.

Court proceedings revealed that on September 28, 2024, the duo allegedly sought $700,000 from Bello-Koko to halt a non-existent EFCC investigation.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty. EFCC counsel Elizabeth Alabi requested that the suspects remain in custody until their trial, while the defense applied for bail.

Justice Onwuebuzie granted bail to Joshua under stringent conditions, including a bond of N100 million and two level-16 civil service sureties.

Both defendants are to be held at Kuje Correctional Centre until bail conditions are met, with the second defendant’s bail hearing scheduled for November 18, 2024.

The two suspects, allegedly part of a four-man syndicate posing as EFCC officials, were arrested on August 28, 2024, in Abuja’s Garki and Apo areas.

By Uzair Adam 

Following allegations of fraudulent activities, the Kano State Judicial Service Commission has suspended two Sharia Court registrars, Jamilu Ibrahim and Zubairu Sulaiman.

This was disclosed in a statement released by the Spokesman of the Kano Judiciary, Baba Jibo Ibrahim, on Friday. 

The commission took disciplinary action during its 75th meeting held on September 12, 2024.

According to the statement, the investigation revealed that Jamilu Ibrahim was involved in a fraudulent transaction linked to the illegal sale of two plots of land through a writ of possession. 

The investigative committee recommended his dismissal, but the commission opted for an indefinite suspension without pay, pending the outcome of his trial at a Magistrate Court.

Additionally, the investigation found that Zubairu Sulaiman, Registrar of the Upper Sharia Court, received one million naira into his personal account as a commission from the sale of the land. 

Consequently, the Judicial Service Commission has suspended him for four months without pay.

The statement reiterated the commission’s commitment to enforcing disciplinary measures against staff involved in misconduct, particularly those in judicial roles, to protect the integrity and accountability of the judiciary while maintaining public confidence.

By Uzair Adam Imam  

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended a clergyman in Ilorin, Prophet Adeniyi James, on allegations of defrauding a member of his congregation to the tune of N3.9 million. 

James, who serves as the General Overseer of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Freedom City Prophetic and Deliverance Ministry in Ilorin, was taken into custody by the Ilorin zonal command of the EFCC on April 2. 

Dele Oyewale, the head of media and publicity for the EFCC, revealed in a statement issued in Ilorin on Saturday, that the arrest came following a petition lodged by the victim, Oluwole Babarinsa.  

Babarinsa recounted in his petition that during a church programme in 2021, James purportedly had a divine revelation about his (Babarinsa’s) imminent travel abroad. 

According to Babarinsa, James engaged him in a conversation about his preferred destination, to which he responded, ‘Canada’.  

Subsequently, James allegedly informed him of a friend in Lagos who could facilitate his relocation to Canada, albeit at a cost of N1.7 million for processing and an additional N2.5 million for flight tickets and travel documents. 

In his quest to fulfil the purported divine directive, Babarinsa resorted to selling some of his assets and taking out loans, ultimately amassing a total of N3,980,000, which he handed over to the prophet.  

However, despite the substantial sum provided, Babarinsa alleged that James failed to fulfil his promises. 

“The petitioner stated that all efforts and entreaties to the suspect to refund his money yielded no positive result,” Oyewale said, relaying Babarinsa’s frustration with the situation. 

The EFCC spokesperson affirmed that following the arrest, investigations into the matter are ongoing, with plans to arraign the suspect in court upon completion of the inquiry.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State is currently under investigation over alleged N70 billion fraud, says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Abdurrashid Bawa, the EFCC Chairman, disclosed about the development on Thursaday during a press briefing.

Our reporters gathered Matawalle and Bawa have recently engaged in a battle of words and Matawalle had leveled allegations against Bawa and dared the commission to go after members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

However, the anti-graft agency chairman urged Nigerians not to be swayed by the Matawalle’s recent outburst.

In his response through the Director of Public Affairs of the commission, Osita Nwajah, Bawa added that “It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate.

“Is this a case of a “’thief’’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘’thieves’’ are caught?

“Unfortunately, it is not within Matawalle’s remit to dictate to the EFCC whom to arrest, when and where. Suspects in the custody of the Commission cut across all sectors and social class.

“The qualification to get a space in the Commission’s detention facility, is to commit a crime. It does not matter whether you are a priest , Imam, Governor or minister.

“Currently, a former minister of power is in the custody of the EFCC over a N22billion corruption allegation. That conveniently did not attract Matawalle’s attention,” Nwajah said.
 

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has declared a British and Indian citizen, Deepark Khilnani, wanted on the ground of fraudulent activities.

The Commission in a post on their verified social media accounts disclosed on Wednesday that Mr Khilnani is wanted for conspiracy, stealing and money laundry.

The Commission gave his brief details and requested that persons with information that could lead to his arrest should not hesitate to contact the EFCC.

“Deepark Khilnani, 63, Indian/British citizen is wanted by the EFCC for Conspiracy and Money Laundering. If you have any information that could lead to his arrest, please do not hesitate to contact the EFCC immediately”, they posted.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin

In the first part of this article, Ponzi alias pyramid schemes were discussed in detail, including their cunning modus operandi. If you come to these schemes with suspicion and scepticism, the chance is that you would notice some funny or dubious traits associated with them. The second part wishes to discuss these traits.

An obsession to prove originality

When someone is not truthful, he knows. So, he will assume the suspect mode consciously or unconsciously. He will always show the urge to convince others that he is a saint. This phenomenon is a funny trademark of Ponzi schemes.

These vague platforms float all kinds of certificates at any given opportunity to prove they are real. The more one becomes obsessed, the easier it becomes to detect his flaws. For instance, how could a firm claiming to be a global investment but floating a CAC with business name registration (which even a market woman can get) as evidence of originality? Many Ponzi agents woo potential subscribers with certificates as evidence of legitimacy, “mai kaza a aljihu ba ya jimirin” as” loosely means “he who has a skeleton in the cupboard live in fear.”

Unprofessional communication

 In this 21st century, communication has become a fundamental part and parcel of any firm, especially the one claiming to be a global player. Any renowned firms there will seek to prove to be professionals in their platforms and customer service delivery. For instance, if you visit any Nigerian telecommunications or bank platforms or engage their customer service agency, you will find them very professional. Likewise, their command of the English language is standard. But that is not the case with many Ponzi schemes. One will find their platform full of average written English, their responses sometimes as good as any street English user.  I have observed one costly mistake from these platforms; they kept replying “transaction successced (sic)” instead of “transaction succeeded” This is an embarrassing mistake no firm would afford. 

Definite and stable gains

Market forces dictate that there is always a level of uncertainty for the return of any investment, but not in the world of seemingly Ponzi schemes. Most legitimate investments are based on “gain and loss”. Sometimes the investment return will be much, small, or even deficit depending on the market forces. Still, as mysterious as it is, this basis of ‘gain and loss’ does not exist in the realm of Ponzi schemes. The song is always the same in these fraudulent platforms: gain and gain, invest x naira and recoup 2x naira.

 Some market forces not long ago that caught the global economy unaware were Covid-19 and Ukraine inversion by Russia. The only market immune from the shocks was the Ponzi scheme. So, dear investors looking for easy money, wake up and smell the coffee.

Camouflage 

Of course, anyone who wants to play a shady game will woo others into believing him by camouflaging a well-known establishment. The Ponzi schemers are masters of camouflage. They float a famous brand as their own. But a simple way to discern this trait is by noting the difference in name between the platform and its website address; let me emphasize this point by riding on the back of the white paper issued on Sunpower.

Sunpower is an acclaimed online investment but was found untrustworthy by “nogofallmaga”, an NGO dealing with scam practices.  The pseudo-Ponzi scheme is known everywhere as Sunpower, but their website name is www.sunsolar.one. This appears to be camouflage because there is a genuine global brand with the name Sunpower and has www.sunpower.com as its website address. So, dear Sunpower, why is the vagueness (brand name different from the website address)?

The dubious and funny traits of fraudulent platforms are many. Control your desire for windfalls, and it becomes difficult to sell you a dummy.

Bilyamin Abdulmumin wrote via bilal4riid13@gmail.com.

By Bilyamin Abdulmumin

Needless to say, everyone wants money. Most of us have an insatiable love for them. There is this Hausa rhetoric:  if anyone says, “you have too much love for money, then the person saying that is playing with your intelligence”. In other words, the accuser is being unserious because what he said is a fact not only about you alone but everyone.

However, that is not the nitty-gritty of the matter because the like for money is one thing, and getting them is another. Getting the money is not as easy as pushing a standing pestle. Neither is it as easy as slapping a chick (in Dan Anace’s words)

To get the Phoenician’s invention, one has to invest a lot. It is a struggle for “survival of the fittest”. Those who bring or have the best ideas or strategy get them, thus putting us in constant skirmish and outweighing one another (capitalism in short).

Through their programs, some people have allegedly found a platform that can bring us this money almost effortlessly. In other words, the Ponzi scheme, alias pyramid, promises to free us from the bandage of suffering before getting the money.

To get to the utopia, according to these organizations, one will only invest a certain amount of money, and instantly a fixed profit is ensured (which one can claim after some time). The return of these investments is usually from 10 to 1000 per cent.

Initially, these Ponzi organizations’ operations were physical, with their offices and agents well known. One of such schemes that once cut across nook and cranny in Zamfara State was “oil and gas investment.”

The gale of the scheme in the state swept aside everyone on its path. It left neither business people, politicians, government workers, or even town heads. The “oil and gas” claimed an investment with a 100 per cent return in two weeks. For instance, an investment of 10,000 would qualify one to cash out 20,000 in two weeks. This is the type of eldorado business everyone can envisage, making it difficult to resist.

With the global transition from a physical to an online platform, the Ponzi schemes have followed suit. They would unleash their various applications where subscribers follow laid-down rules. Although different from the physical schemes, the concept remains the same: invest a certain amount of money and recoup mouth-watering profit (at 100 % assurance).

MMM was one online Ponzi that traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria, thanks to the subscribers’ testimonies like that of the oil and gas scheme. MMM promised and initially delivered 30 per cent profit to subscribers at every kobo invested within two weeks. This online investment was even riskier because the subscribers were dealing with faceless agents. When the MMM finally crashed, the bang of the burst was heard everywhere across the globe.

How the MMM founder from the far East of the globe, Russia, was able to convince Nigerians (some of whom are learned) to use not only their savings but other people’s money (staff salary, school registration fees, or money entrusted to them) was a mystery

The basic modus operandi of any pyramid scheme is the same: one particular schemer (the Ponzi initiator) would convince one to two people. Next, these two people convince four, four convince eight, and it keeps cascading like a symbolic pyramid hence the name pyramid scheme. Note the new subscribers in the pyramid pay the older ones; those at the top, especially the schemer who is at the top, bag the most money out of the scheme to the detriment of those at the bottom. For the scheme to remain healthy in operation, the new subscribers must always be able to pay the older ones; otherwise, the scheme becomes stuck in the mud.

Some of the Ponzi schemes recently to have met the waterloo are ISME and OSTIME. And according to “nogofalmaga”, an NGO specialist in dealing with Ponzi schemes, some other currently active schemes are only a matter of when not if they flow suit. These are SunPower, Tesla-recharger, Bitmaincenter sabrinascala, stormgain, among others.

In order not to take too much space, I reserved for the next article the discussion of some funny traits of Ponzi schemes

The elixir for easy money doesn’t exist. The Ponzi scheme can only provide for a few while robbing many others. If it is too good to be true, don’t trust it.

Bilyamin Abdulmumin wrote via bilal4riid13@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is not recruiting, the General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Garbadeen Muhammad, said.

The General Manager made the declaration public in a statement issued in Abuja by the management. 

In the statement, Muhammad urged the general public to discard the rumour in the air that the company was recruiting. 

He reiterated that the information suggesting that NNPC Ltd. was recruiting was false and baseless. 

He stated, “the general public should please take note that NNPC Ltd. is not recruiting.

The statement noted that the NNPC has an official website to make announcements whenever the company intends to recruit. 

The official websites were identified as “(www.nnpcgroup.com); verified Twitter handle (@nnpcgroup); verified Facebook page (@nnpcgroup) and other credible media channels,” he stated.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Aisha Wakil, popularly known as Mama Boko Haram, has been convicted for fraud alongside two others.

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, disclosed this on their verified Facebook page on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

According to the EFCC, Wakil and her co-defendants, Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode, were standing trial on a two count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretense to the tune of 71, 400, 000 (Seventy-One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira)

The judgement, which was delivered by Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, marks the end of the trial commenced in September, 2020.

“The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the EFCC on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 secured the conviction and sentencing of Aisha Alkali Wakil, (aka Mama Boko Haram) alongside Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri. The defendants were sentenced to five years imprisonment without option of fine,” the EFCC statement reads in part.