TheNewsGuru

Tag: fraud

  • 3 petrol dealers face N58m fraud charge

    3 petrol dealers face N58m fraud charge

    Three petroleum products dealers who allegedly obtained the sum of N58 million from a businessman under false pretences, were on Thursday charged before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    The accused: Abubakar Adamu,40; Abubakar Aliyu, 54, and Isah Ibrahim, 34, are standing trial on a three-count charge of fraud, stealing and conspiracy.

    The accused, however, denied the charge.

    The Prosecutor, SP Eshiet Eshiet, had told the court that the accused committed the offences between March and April in Lagos.

    Eshiet said that the accused obtained the sum of N58 million from the complainant, Virginus Erims, of Virgiman Nigeria Ltd., under the guise of supplying six trucks of 50,000 litres of petrol (PMS) to him.

    He said that other products the accused promised to supply to the complainant were one truck of 50,000 litres of diesel (AGO) and one truck of 50,000 litres of kerosene (DPK).

    “The accused knew that the representation was false, therefore, stole Mr Erims’s N58 million without supplying the products which the money was meant for,” Esheit said.

    According to him, the offences contravene Sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    Counsel to the accused, Mr Casmir Okoli, urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.

    The Magistrate, Mrs S.K. Matepo, admitted each of the accused to bail in the sum of N5 million, with two sureties each in like sum.

    Matepo said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the accused.

    She also said that the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government and must produce relevant documents.

    She adjourned the case until July 10, for mention.

     

  • ‘I am sorry am in this mess’- Dammy Krane laments

    ‘I am sorry am in this mess’- Dammy Krane laments

    Embattled pop singer, Dammy Krane who was involved in an alleged credit card scam last Friday has cleared the air on the matter. The singer said he is not a fraudulent person and he is sorry for being caught up in the mess.

    Speaking with NotjustOk TV, he said:”I want to use this medium to apologize to my family, my team and my fans. I was arrested in Miami for fraud I do not do fraud. I do not partake in such activities. It just happened that the agent booked my flight with fraudulent cards. My life is all about my music. I am sorry I got caught up in this mess”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BVE3-aSBccr/?taken-by=thenewsgurung

     

    Though he has been granted bail, but the news of his arrest has kept social media buzzing becoming the trending topic on Twitter.The court hearing will come up on June 23, 2017 at 9:15am.

  • EFCC provides more evidence in trial of Kalu

    EFCC provides more evidence in trial of Kalu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday called its fifth witness before a Federal High Court, Lagos, in the ongoing trial of a former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.

    The EFCC had on Oct. 31, 2016, preferred a 34-count charge bordering on N3.2 billion fraud against Kalu and his former commissioner for Finance, Ude Udeogo.

    Also charged is a company, Slok Nig. Ltd.

    The accused had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    When trial resumed on Wednesday, the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), called his fifth witness, Mrs Toyosi Ekorhi, into the witness box.

    In her examination-in-chief, the witness, who is a compliance officer at the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), told the court that the bank had forwarded the account status of Slok Nig.Ltd to the EFCC.

    She said it was in response to an inquiry by the commission, over same, about two months ago.

    The witness told the court that she joined FCMB on Oct. 13, 2008, adding that the documents were retrieved from the archives of the defunct Inland Bank Plc.

    She, however, told the court that she had no knowledge of its contents because she never worked at Inland Bank.

    According to the witness, the company’s statements of account sent to the EFCC covered transactions carried out between Aug. 27, 2008 and Nov. 12, 2012.

    She, however, claimed ignorance of the transactions which she said were done in Finbank Plc.

    During cross-examination, the defence counsel, Chief Gordy Uche (SAN), enquired from the witness if the first accused was listed as a director of the company.

    In response, the witness said that the name of the first accused (Kalu), was not listed as one of the Directors of Slok Nig. Ltd.

    She added that the second accused (Udeogu) was also not a signatory to the company’s account.

    Justice Mohammed Idris, has adjourned until June 8 (tomorrow), for cross examination of the witness by the second defence counsel.

    In the charge, the accused were alleged to have committed the offences between August 2001 and October 2005.

    Kalu was alleged to have utilised his company to retain in the account of First Inland bank, (now FCMB), the sum of N200 million.

    The sum is alleged to have formed part of funds illegally derived from the coffers of the Abia State Government.

    In one of the counts, his company (Slok Nig Ltd) and one Emeka Abone, who is said to be at large, were also alleged to have retained in the company’s account the sum of N200 million, on behalf of the first accused.

    In counts one to 10, the accused were alleged to have retained about N2.5 billion in different accounts, which funds were said to belong to the Abia state government.

    Cumulatively, in all the counts, the accused were alleged to have diverted over N3.2 billion from the Abia State government’s treasury during Kalu’s tenure as governor.

    The offence is said to have contravened the provisions of Sections 15(6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.

    It is also said to have contravened the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995, as amended by the amendment Act No. 9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990.

     

  • 6 tricks financial fraudsters use to steal your money

    6 tricks financial fraudsters use to steal your money

    You could have been the victim of this terrifying crime or had calls from some fraudsters, or most probably know someone who has been.

    Usually, they will tell you they are your friend abroad and ask you to guess their names or even tell you they work with Dangote cement that there is this contract on offer they want you to grab.

    There are so many phone scams these days that you would think the Nigerian Communications Commission Do-Not-Disturb policy is mere child’s play.

    ImageFile: BVN fraudster SMS
    Scam SMS financial fraudsters send to victims

    It is like clockwork. You sit down to eat dinner and your phone starts ringing incessantly or some disturbing text messages start bumping in for you to call a certain number to re-activate your Bank Verification Number (BVN).

    Of course, they want your money. You might think, “how can anyone be tricked by these people?”

    Well, it turns out that they use scientifically proven techniques to convince you or your elderly loved ones, that they are who they claim to be. They will convince you that they are trying to be helpful. They will even tell you they know you from your place of worship.

    There are six techniques they use to convince you to give them your money. Do you know these six tricks?

    6 tricks phone scammers use

    We do not want you to be the next victim of a phone scam. Nigerians lose millions of nairas every year to phone scams.

    Here are six ways they convince you to pay up.

    1. They will call, tell you they are your friend abroad and ask you to guess their names or tell you “you need to re-activate your BVN”
    2. Any name you mention, they will go with it, and they will make you start even talking about the person you mentioned (that they do not know) the more. Then they will mention your names and share information about you to gain your trust
    3. They will welcome your skepticism, saying they understand your concerns
    4. Scammers will lie about who they are, and where they work, whether they say they are with Zenith, GTB, or Fidelity banks or they will tell you they are Dangote staffs, or some other reputable companies
    5. They will take their time to explain who they are and why they are calling
    6. They will ramp up their pressure and threats by changing the tone of their voice, especially when the narration is not going as they have planned it

    It is really important that you never share personal information, such as your address, with anyone over the phone. Of course, never give your credit card information or bank account numbers to anyone, unless you contact them first.

    How to outwit phone scammers

    1. Stay cool, be in control of the phone call
    2. Do not let them rush you. At least waste the scammer’s airtime — a call offering a 10 million naira contract should last at least 5 or more hours (i.e. if you have the time anyways)
    3. But, most importantly, pay attention to your intuition

    The most effective tool you have with phone scams is your power to hang up. If someone starts asking you for personal information or for money, immediately hang up.

    If you are worried that the person calling could have been from your bank, go to your bank; or from a reputable company, find the genuine website of the company and look for contact information. Then, you call them.

     

    Read: Best way to block spam calls on your Smartphone

     

    You would want to share this information with your loved ones; use the share buttons below.

     

  • Dammy Krane:How credit card fraud was uncovered

    Dammy Krane:How credit card fraud was uncovered

    Tapjets, the private jet service which Dammy Krane allegedly defrauded,​has exposed how the said scam was detected. According to reports gathered by TheNewsGuru, Dammy Krane paid Tapjets with a stolen credit card for their service, leading to his arrest in Miami on Friday. He was arrested alongside an accomplice called Chukwuebuka.

    Mr Konstantin, Head of Flight Safety and Security for the company said:”Dammy Krane uses Samsung Galaxy 7, and messages did not come from that phone.

    ”​However, that same phone was used to place the online order with credit card that does not belong to him​.

    “​Same phone was used to register multiple accounts trying to buy with different cards until one finally worked. However, names did not match to zip codes etc.”

    The private jets service company also stated that Dammy’s accomplice, Chukwuebuka also tried to purchase flight on another phone with yet another card.

    “Total of five cards in an hour till one worked. We are 100 percent confident that our app was on that phone and order was placed via T-Mobile network from cell tower located in Miami area. We have coordinates of cell tower and proof that they took a car from that area to Opalacka airport. That’s where the arrest took place.”

     

    Tapjets stated that it is not proud about the incident, but it other individuals need to think twice before stealing from companies.

    “Technology is very sophisticated and being an airline, we have access to the latest. I hope you can help in spreading the message that we are not on a witch hunt” Konstantin reveals.

     

  • Police arrest 4 suspects over fraudulent education websites

    Police arrest 4 suspects over fraudulent education websites

    The Nigeria Police Force says it has arrested four suspects for operating illegal rogue websites to defraud unsuspecting West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidates across the country.

    The suspects are: Chijioke Modestus, Samuel Onwurah, 20, Patrick Nwodo, 30 and Okon Joseph.

    The Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that the suspects were arrested by personnel of the Inspector-General of Police monitoring unit at different locations.

    Moshood said that Modestus, a 300 level computer science student of Michael Okpara University, Umudike, was arrested at Umuahia, Abia and confessed to have collected N70, 000 from his victims.

    He said Onwurah, who was arrested in Kutunku area of Gwagwalada, Abuja collected N90, 000 from his victims while Nwodo, who was arrested at Abakpa Nike in Enugu, also collected N40,000 from his victims.

    The spokesman explained further that Joseph, a 200 level Public Health student of the University of Calabar, who was arrested in Calabar collected N120, 000 from his victims.

    Moshood, said that officials of WAEC had observed that some persons were soliciting for candidates sitting for the examination, to pay money into their bank accounts for `solved answers’ to questions.

    He said that the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigation, while efforts would be intensified to arrest other operators of the websites.

    The spokesman gave assurance to members of the public of the renewed commitment of the force to stamp out criminality in the country.

    Mr Yusuf Ari, Zonal Coordinator for WAEC in Abuja, said that the council has been facing such challenges for some time.

    He said that the examination body had banned candidates and invigilators from carrying cell phones into examination hall, to check malpractices.

    Ari restated the commitment of the council to conduct examination at approved and certified centres only.

    TheNewsGuru reports that the WASSCE held on May 12 in the country and other four West African countries.

  • We’ll support Nigeria in fighting cybercrime, financial fraud – United States

    We’ll support Nigeria in fighting cybercrime, financial fraud – United States

    The United States on Wednesday pledged to support Nigeria in the fight against cybercrime and financial fraud.

    A statement issued by the U.S. Embassy quoted Amb. Stuart Symington, as saying this at the Second Annual Conference on Combatting Financial Fraud, Cybercrime, and Cross-Border Crimes on Tuesday.

    The conference with the theme `U.S.-Nigerian cooperation in combating cybercrime and financial fraud,’ was organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Information Technology Development Agency.

    Symington said: “there is not a country in the world that is kept secure day and night, year after year by anything other than the people of that country.

    “They are to national security what every user of a computer is to internet security, they are the critical link.”

    The ambassador expressed the need to set up appropriate legal frameworks, deploy computer emergency response teams in critical sectors, and develop national and international tools that will work to combat cybercrime.

    He explained the internet has leveled the playing field for all citizens, because anyone in the world can compete with, influence, and change what the entire world is doing.

    Citing the recent WannaCry worldwide attack, he said “whatever challenges Nigeria is facing, the United States and the global community are confronting those challenges as well”.

    He emphasised the need for an immediate response and robust coordination between nations in answer to frequent cyber-attacks and increasingly sophisticated transnational criminal networks.

    “The U.S. has partnered with the Nigerian government to combat fraud, financial crimes, money laundering, cybercrime, and cross-border crimes including drug, human, and wildlife trafficking.

    `The two countries also continue to work to counter these threats, strengthen information sharing, and develop strategies to work together to protect citizens, resources, and financial networks from dangerous criminal attacks,” he said.

    NAN reports that Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, Minister of Justice said Nigeria was proactively taking steps to ensure that the Cyber Crime Act of 2015 was implemented.

    Representing Malami, Mrs Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu, Special Adviser to the President on Justice Reforms, said the Ministry of Justice was ensuring that cyber crime perpetrators were prosecuted for obstructing national security.

    “Our intention is to ensure that Nigeria is proactively implementing our Cyber Crime Act of 2015 and also to ensure that we are implementing the Advanced Fee Fraud Act of 2007.

    “We want to ensure that we are looking at cross border crimes that can affect the national security of Nigeria and we are taking proactive steps in that direction.

    He said that Nigeria was in a critical situation and if nothing was done to tackle cyber crime issues in the government and across private sector, the country might become subject to gruesome cyber attacks.

     

     

    NAN

  • Alleged Probe: Fayose inaugurates panel to probe predecessor, Kayode Fayemi

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Monday inaugurated a judicial commission of enquiry to investigate allegations of fraud against his immediate predecessor, and current Minister for Steel and Minerals Resources Development, Kayode Fayemi.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that this followed a resolution passed by the Ekiti State House Assembly some weeks ago, which directed the governor to pursue the investigations given that the minister failed to appear before the house when summoned the come and testify.

    The assembly had accused Fayemi of diverting funds belonging to the state Universal Basic Education Board while serving as governor of the state.

    But the minister denied any wrong doing, saying the house and the state government were out to tarnish his image.

    Fayemi had also derided the house for the call for his investigation, saying the case in question was before a court of law.

    Fayose, while constituting the panel in Ado Ekiti, explained that the move was in compliance with the resolution of the House of Assembly.

    “In compliance with the resolution of the State House of Assembly and pursuant to the powers conferred on Mr. Governor in section 2 of the Ekiti State Commission of Enquiry Cap C10 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012, His Excellency, Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose, has set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to look into the financial transactions of the state between 2010 and 2014,” the governor’s speech read on his behalf by the Secretary to State Government, Modupe Alade, said.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the commission is headed by retired Justice, Silas Oyewole, of the Ekiti State High Court.

    It has as its terms of reference, to ascertain how much Ekiti State Government received as statutory allocations during the period under review and how same were disbursed.

    The commission is also to “look into the financial transactions of Ekiti State between 2010 and 2014; ascertain the amount received on behalf of the State from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); investigate the allegations of fraud/loss of funds, including the diversion and conversion of the UBEC funds; ascertain the amount that the Ekiti State Government took as loans during the period under review and how they were utilized.”

    It was also mandated to consider all other issues relating to the finances of the Ekiti State Government within the period under review, and to make appropriate recommendations to the Ekiti State Government.

    “This is no witch-hunt because severally, the State House of Assembly, that is conferred with the power to look into the finances of the state, has invited former governor John Kayode Fayemi to clarify some issues bothering on the finances of the state such as the SUBEB funds which was mismanaged and others,” Mrs. Aladje said.

    “But despite having been invited for three times, he has refused to honour the invitation.

    “Since he has refused to do that, the governor, acting on the directives by the state Assembly and the powers conferred on him by the constitution, has set up this judicial Commission of Enquiry.”

    Ekiti State Attorney General, Owoseni Ajayi, said the setting up of the enquiry was in strict compliance with section two of the Ekiti State Law on the establishment of Judicial Commission of Enquiry.

    “Fortunately, this particular law was signed into Law in 2012 by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, which means it is an extant Law, a Law of the state and not intended to witch-hunt anybody,” he said.

    “The Commission is a fact finding one and there is no cause for anybody to be afraid of the proceedings of the Commission which is quasi-judiciary and would be in the open court and not hidden from anybody.”

    Ajayi assured that the principles of fair hearing would be upheld as all parties must be given a fair hearing in the proceedings.

    “It is not at all targeted at former governor Kayode Fayemi in person, but it is to find facts as to how the finances of the state were dispensed under that administration,” he said.

    “So, if anybody is called upon by that Commission, and served adequate notice through a medium by which they can be informed, and they abdicated their right to defend or present facts contrary to what is presented, then they will be taken as if they have abandoned their right of fair hearing and any judgement passed thereof would be binding on such persons.”

    Your panel, a waste of time, Fayemi fires back

    However, in a swift reaction, the Minister for Steel and Minerals Resources Development and former governor of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, described the judicial commission inaugurated by his successor (Fayose) on Monday as “an exercise in futility”.

    Yinka Oyebode, Special Assistant on Media to the minister said in a statement that the governor’s action was at variance with the laws of the land which makes it subjudice for anyone to entertain a matter that is already before a court of competent jurisdiction.

    “It is obvious, Governor Fayose is desperate to probe the administration of his predecessor in office, Dr Kayode Fayemi, for personal vendetta. Yet, he is advised to be guided by the rule of law and decency in this wild goose chase.

    “The Governor and members of the panel are reminded that the two cases involving the House of Assembly, its leadership and top officials of the present administration are still pending In an Abuja High Court and a Federal High Court in Ado, thus making it an act of illegality for another panel to look into the matter.

    “The governor is advised to concentrate on the serious task of governance and refrain from shadow chasing which the current pursuit of personal vendetta through a kangaroo committee clearly represents,” he added.

  • Why we suspended N6bn fraud probe of Sanusi – agency

    Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Muhuyi Magaji, says the agency has achieved 80 per cent success into the investigation of alleged misapplication of N6bn by the Kano Emirate Council.

    Magaji told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja that the commission had also recorded a “water tight case against the emirate council’’ over the allegations of financial misappropriation.

    “We have also identified our primary suspect in the course of the investigation,’’ he said, but declined to name the suspect,” he said.

    However, he said that the commission suspended the probe to avoid a “crisis of concurrent investigation with the state House of Assembly and possible litigation by interested parties.”

    The chairman explained that the state legislature had taken over the case by constituting an eight-man committee to conduct a similar probe when the commission was on top of the situation.

    According to him, Section 16 of the law establishing the commission barred it from conducting further investigation into any matter pending before the state House of Assembly and the courts.

    Magaji cited the case of Rabiu Salisu and others before the Federal Court of Appeal in suit No: K/37/2016, and suit No: K/M/728/2015, involving Rabiu Ibrahim & Co financial institutions Vs the anti-graft agency to buttress the need for the suspension.

    He added that the commission had found out that “all the monies allegedly spent were not appropriated for contrary to the Kano State Emirate Council Law 2004.”

    The law required the council to prepare annual budgets and submit same for appropriation by the legislature.

    “But our findings from the Ministry of Budget and Planning confirmed that the emirate council has an annual overheads of N15m and no capital allocation even under Emir Sanusi,’’ said the chairman.

    Meanwhile, he said that the commission had written the House of Assembly on the matter and would stay further action pending the response of the legislature.

    He, therefore, urged the public to appreciate the legal and extraneous constraints of the commission in suspending investigation into the alleged financial irregularities committed by the emirate council.

  • BBC apologises to Emir Sanusi over alleged N6b Emirate fund scam publication

    BBC apologises to Emir Sanusi over alleged N6b Emirate fund scam publication

    British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, has apologised to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, over reports it published claiming the Emir was connected with a financial recklessness that took place with the Kano Emirate fund.

    Recall that on April 24, the corporation had published a report claiming that the Emir was under probe by the Emirate’s anti-graft commission for alleged mismanagement of Kano Emirate fund.

    The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission had opened an investigation into allegations of ‘questionable expenditures’ running into billions of naira by the council over a short period of time.

    However, in the apology letter dated April 28, 2017 and sent to Emir Sanusi, Mr. Jamie Angus, editorial director at BBC, said that an April 24 story quoting the Chairman, of Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhyi Magaji, as saying that he (Sanusi) was amongst those being investigated in connection with alleged misappropriation of about N6 billion Emirate Council fund was “not correct.”

    “The recording of the interview was passed to another colleague in Abuja office, summarised in a despatch and then sent to London where the online report was written and published.

    Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano “It is now clear from our investigations that the reports did not accurately reflect what we were told by Mr. Magaji, who had, in fact, made clear to our reporter that you had not been invited in for questioning and indeed that it was unlikely that there would be a need to invite you for question.

    “Accordingly, the report we published suggested that you were under personal investigation was not correct and for that I offer my sincere apologies,” Mr. Angus said.

    Recall also that the Kano state Emirate Council had equally refuted the allegations that the emir spent N6 billion of the emirate’s fund since assuming office in 2014. Speaking at a press conference in Kano on Monday, a senior official in charge of finance, Bashir Wali, told newsmen that contrary to reports, Sanusi has only spent N2.9billion since he emerged Emir three years ago. Mr. Wali, who is also the Walin Kano, further explained that Emir Sanusi inherited about N1.9 billion as against the alleged N4 billion from his predecessor Alhaji Ado Bayero.