Frank Efe

The Warri Area Command has arrested four suspected fraudsters who specialize in forging fake vehicle licences and defrauding unsuspected victims of their money through internet scam.

Mr. Edema Rafael, age 20 and Mr. Friday Wuruyai, age 21, the two suspects involved in the internet scam.

Mr. Friday Wuruyai (m) age 21Briefing newsmen in Warri, the Warri Area Commander, ACP Husseini Rabiu said that two of the suspects were arrested in connection with internet scam where one Engr. Christ Ekpekurede was defrauded of four million naira through electronic transfer.

According to Rabiu; “On 12/6/13 one Engr. Chris Ekpekurede ‘m’ of 2 Saniyo Street Jakpa Road, Effurun received a phone test message which reads thus: “Dear Customer, your First Bank online security is still not active. Please log in below to activate your online verification privacy department 2013 First Bank Nigeria Plc.”

From left: Miss Christabel Ejenawho and Mrs. Efe Ini, the two vehicle licence fraudsters

“In reaction to this text message, the said Engr. Chris Ekpekurede ‘m’ logged in all his bank details, including his ATM Pin Number. No sooner than he logged in these details than he got an alert from his Bank, First Bank Nigeria Plc, that he had transferred N4, 000, 000.00 from his account. He immediately swung into action and contacted the Bank Manager who tried, in co-operation with other Banks to salvage part of the money.”

The Warri Area Commander also revealed that the fraudsters used electronic transfer to transfer the four million from Engr. Ekpekurede’s account with First Bank account to an account with UBA operated by one Egbo Patience and was later re-transferred to thirteen other accounts.

He said; “The money was further re-transferred in piecemeal of N300, 000.00 each to 13 other accounts with UBA (7 accounts); GTB (5 accounts) and Fidelity Bank (1 account). The fraudsters have withdrawn large chunk of the money before the salvage mission was started. However, two of the accounts holders have been arrested and are helping detectives in tracing the other fleeing suspects.”

The two suspects, Mr. Edema Rafael (m) age 20 and Mr. Friday Wuruyai (m) age 21, when interviewed by journalists, denied the allegations saying that they were not aware of the crime and that their friends deceived them and collected their ATM cards to commit the fraud.

In a similar development, the Command also arrested two female suspects specialized in forging vehicle documents to unsuspected members of the public.

Rabiu said the two female suspects who gave their names as Efe Ini and Christabel Ejenawho were arrested at a shop opposite Baptist Church Maduku Street Warri, by a team of operative led by Inspector Frank Akhabue attached to the Monitoring Unit Section, Warri Area Command.

Speaking to journalists in an interview, one of the suspects, Christabel Ejenawho denied the allegation saying that she was only called to come and help the other suspect, Efe Ini, when she was sick.

The other suspect, Mrs. Efe Ini, did not deny the allegation as she told journalists that she has been doing the business of forging vehicle licences for the past four years.