Police apprehend suspect in alleged N1bn scam

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Airport Police Command, has apprehended a 20-year-old suspected celebrity scammer who allegedly defrauded multiple victims in the United States of over one billion naira.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Mohammed Adeola, confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

He said that the suspect was apprehended on Monday by operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Airport Police Command while attempting to board a flight out of Lagos State.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, who previously resided in Calabar, relocated to Lagos State on Feb. 23, 2024, from where he coordinated and executed multiple fraudulent operations targeting victims in the US.

“In one major case in 2024, the suspect deceived a 47-year-old female victim in the US into transferring one million dollars under the guise of purchasing property in Florida for an orphanage.

“The funds were allegedly obtained through a cryptocurrency scheme known as ‘BullRun 2.0,’ formerly called ‘4 Way Mirror Money’,” he said.

The spokesperson said that further investigations revealed that the suspect also defrauded another 70-year-old female victim in the US of 18,000 dollars (N26 million).

Adeola said that further findings showed that the suspect posed as a 60-year-old orthopaedic surgeon working with the United Nations in Nigeria, claiming that the devices were needed to maintain secure communications with the victim.  (NAN)

According to him, the suspect and his casefile have been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force Special Fraud Unit (NPF-SFU) for further investigation.

He said that he will be arraigned afterwards. (NAN)

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