Interpol Arrests 3 Nigerians For Online Scam

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – An INTERPOL-led operation targeting malware cyber fraud across Southeast Asia has resulted in the arrest of three Nigerians suspected of engaging in global scamming.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested the suspects in a sting operation conducted simultaneously in a Lagos suburb called Ajegunle and in Benin City, Edo State capital.

The Nigerian sting operation comes as part of a global operation codenamed “Killer Bee” involving INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) and law enforcement in 11 countries across Southeast Asia.

The arrests follows the publication of an INTERPOL Cyber Report linking a suspected syndicate of Nigerian fraudsters operating from the West Coast of Africa to the use of a malicious Remote Access Trojan (RAT) known as Agent Tesla.

The men are thought to have used the RAT to reroute financial transactions, stealing confidential online connection details from corporate organizations, including oil and gas companies in South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

This is contained in a statement by the Spokesman for the EFCC Mr. Wilson Uwujaren .

One of the scammers, Hendrix Omorume has been charged with three counts of serious financial fraud and has been convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment.

The trial of the others is still ongoing.

“Through its global police network and constant monitoring of cyberspace, INTERPOL had the globally sourced intelligence needed to alert Nigeria to a serious security threat where millions could have been lost without swift police action,” said INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime Craig Jones.

“Further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen across the world as intelligence continues to come in and investigations unfold,” added Mr Jones.

INTERPOL assisted in examining the laptops and mobile phones seized by EFCC during the arrests, helping to confirm the systematic use of “Agent Tesla” malware to access business computers and divert monetary transactions to their own accounts.

The three men, aged between 31 and 38, were each arrested in possession of fake documents, including fraudulent invoices and forged official letters.