Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police has arrested 15 Nigerians for their alleged involvement in embezzlement of money using an American military woman’s fake Facebook ID.
They were arrested from Pallabi in Dhaka on Thursday. 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 Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Mr Rezaul Haider confirmed the matter during a press briefing at CID headquarters on Friday.
He said the ring members would use a fake Facebook ID or WhatsApp of an American female army officer, or of a beautiful woman, to form a friendly relationship with people from different countries including Bangladesh. They also sent personal pictures to attract victims.
The ring members would then send a message saying she is in Yemen, Afghanistan or Syria and has a few million dollars with her. However, she can lose the money at any time for all the ongoing wars in those countries.
So, they would say, she wants to gift the dollars to her new friend (the victim) upon condition that if she survives, she will take it back, the DIG added.
With this kind of temptation, they would first collect the mobile number and address of the victim. Later, they would send a picture showing a gift package with that address. On the next message, they would send an image of a receipt that the gift package is being sent through an airline.
After exactly two days the victim receives a video call from the ring members to show that the package has reached the airport’s customs office and they would then start charging money for several steps as value added tax (VAT).
One such victim, Farhad Hossain Talukder, paid up to Tk5.25 lakh ($1,290.46) into various bank accounts. Later, he informed the CID when they asked for more money.
Additional DIG Rezaul said: “The information we have gathered shows they have fooled a number of people in various countries including India, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, Philippines and Indonesia. The scam ring has swindled huge sums of money through their country's associates and bank accounts by giving so-called gifts.
“More importantly, they are an international fraud ring, with their associates operating in each of the countries mentioned.”
“Seven of them had no passports: they have torn them up. One of them is a student, who somehow got involved with the ring. We are investigating to find more information about the others,” he added.
Two female members of the ring managed to flee while the others scuffled with police while they were being arrested, said the CID official.
Dhaka Tribune
