Staff Reporter :
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police has arrested at least 15 Nigerians over Facebook gift scam, from different parts of the capital city on Thursday.
In the raid, nine laptops, 22 mobile phones and five account diaries used in the scam were seized.
The arrested are Nzubechukwu Eugene Dara, 30, Chuawuma John Okechukwu, 40, Uchenna Damian Emesiani, 30, Chisom Anthonoy Ekwenze, 35, Simon Ifechukwude Okafor, 30, Henry Osita Okechukwu, 31, Ifeanyi Johnpaul Chinweze, 32, Okeke Peter, 32, Emeka Donatus, 48, Gozie Onyedo, 47, Peter Chika Akpu, 48, Obinna Sunday, 40, Nwanna Young, 34, Jeremiah Chukwudi Ezeobi, 34, and Stephen Ozioma Obiakoeze, 34.
CID Additional DIG Sheikh Rezaul Haider confirmed it in a press briefing at CID Headquarters in the city’s Malibagh on Friday.
According to sources, “They open Facebook and WhatsApp accounts, posing as female soldiers of the US army and send friend requests to unsuspecting people. When the victims accept their request, the frauds easily make close relations over social networking sites and want to send them valuables as gifts. At one stage, the frauds started to realize
money from the victims, saying it is needed to pay the customs duty to release the gift items from the airport,”
The CID official further said the arrested men are members of an international gang of frauds and they have realized huge sum from many people here in the country.
“Seven of them had no passports as they have destroyed. One of them is a student, who somehow got involved with the ring. We are investigating to find more information about the others,” he said.
Two female members of the ring managed to flee, while the others scuffled with police when they were being arrested, said the CID official.
A case has been filed against them at the Pallabi Police Station, he added.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police has arrested at least 15 Nigerians over Facebook gift scam, from different parts of the capital city on Thursday.
In the raid, nine laptops, 22 mobile phones and five account diaries used in the scam were seized.
The arrested are Nzubechukwu Eugene Dara, 30, Chuawuma John Okechukwu, 40, Uchenna Damian Emesiani, 30, Chisom Anthonoy Ekwenze, 35, Simon Ifechukwude Okafor, 30, Henry Osita Okechukwu, 31, Ifeanyi Johnpaul Chinweze, 32, Okeke Peter, 32, Emeka Donatus, 48, Gozie Onyedo, 47, Peter Chika Akpu, 48, Obinna Sunday, 40, Nwanna Young, 34, Jeremiah Chukwudi Ezeobi, 34, and Stephen Ozioma Obiakoeze, 34.
CID Additional DIG Sheikh Rezaul Haider confirmed it in a press briefing at CID Headquarters in the city’s Malibagh on Friday.
According to sources, “They open Facebook and WhatsApp accounts, posing as female soldiers of the US army and send friend requests to unsuspecting people. When the victims accept their request, the frauds easily make close relations over social networking sites and want to send them valuables as gifts. At one stage, the frauds started to realize
money from the victims, saying it is needed to pay the customs duty to release the gift items from the airport,”
The CID official further said the arrested men are members of an international gang of frauds and they have realized huge sum from many people here in the country.
“Seven of them had no passports as they have destroyed. One of them is a student, who somehow got involved with the ring. We are investigating to find more information about the others,” he said.
Two female members of the ring managed to flee, while the others scuffled with police when they were being arrested, said the CID official.
A case has been filed against them at the Pallabi Police Station, he added.
