18TH JULY, 2014
PRESS BULLETIN
INTERNET FRAUDSTERS
SUSPECTS: [1] FALADE OLUWAPELUMI AYOTUNDE – 25yrs
[2] ASAOLU VICTOR
- 25yrs
[3] AWOTE TEMITOPE EMAX -
27yrs
[4] FAJOBI OLALEKAN -
27yrs
[5] BOLATIRI EMMANUEL ONAOPEMIPO -
25yrs
[6] ADEBOMI OLUWATOSIN -
26yrs
The
Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) has arrested the above named internet
fraudsters who specialized in designing organisation’s websites and using same
to defraud unsuspecting members of the society.
A
petition dated 22nd August 2013, received from OPEC FUND for
International Development alleged that a website designed as “OFID Scholarship
Website” with OFID name and logo has been used to defraud innocent Nigerian
applicants. That in the website,
applicants were required to pay N2,500.00 as an application fee and over 2,000
applicants responded and paid the fees through the First Bank Account Number
2020874607 and Access Bank Account Number 0056941009 with the name OFID WSAS
NG. The petitioner stated further that
it was one of the victims that contacted OFID via facebook, accusing OFID of
being complicit in the fraud.
The
Cybercrime Section of the Unit swung into action and the mastermind of the
fraud, one Falade Oluwapelumi Ayotunde was arrested. His arrest led to the arrest of five other syndicate
members. Police investigation so far
revealed that over 2,000 applicants paid the sum of N2,500.00 each into the two
banks provided by the suspects and the principal suspect is the only signatory
to both accounts.
[1] FALADE OLUWAPELUMI AYOTUNDE - A
25years old from Akure, Ondo State and
500Level Estate Management student of Federal
University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).
The suspect made a confessional
statement, that he designed the website of OFID WSAS (OPEC Fund for International Development for World Student Aid
Scholarship) in June, 2012. That the idea came from one Fajobi Olalekan and Bolatiri Opemipo. He also admitted that he opened an account in both First Bank and Access Bank
with the name OFID WSAS NG for applicants to pay in their application
fee which many responded to. He further stated that he and his cohorts
printed a postal for OFIDWAS which
was on the website.
[2] ASAOLU VICTOR – 25years old from Ilesha in
Osun State and a graduate of
Mining Engineering from Federal University of Technology,
Akure (FUTA). A job seeker. He confessed that he assisted to paste the posters on line and he was given
N80,000.00 initially and later
another N40,000.00 totalling N120,000.00 for the job.
[3] AWOTE TEMITOPE EMMANUEL – 27years old. A 500Level Estate Management student of Federal University of Technology,
Akure (FUTA). He confessed that he assisted the principal
suspect to sign guarantor for the
accounts he opened in First Bank and Access Bank for the OFID program and was paid N70,000.00 which he had spent
for his personal effects. He stated that he participated in pasting and
publicizing the fake OFID
Scholarship Program. He also stated that
he knew from the onset that the
OFID Scholarship Program is a scam aimed
at defrauding innocent scholarship applicant but that he still went on to deceive the bank that his friend is
honest and the program genuine.
[4] FAJOBI OLALEKAN is 27years old from Lagos
State and a Mechanical Engineering
graduate of Federal University of Technology, Akure
(FUTA) with a first class honour and the best graduating student in his department for the year 2012. He is currently working with Dee Xecutor Concept. He stated that while in school, he lived in
the same Lodge with the 1st
suspect and his mates/friends always come to him for educational assistance because of his intelligence. That he once fell victim for scholarship known as EDIADS, which made the 1st
suspect to approach him and got
some information regarding that one, which he believed
gave him an idea on how to design OFID Scholarship Website. He further
stated that he lent the 1st suspect the sum N12,000.00 for hosting the Website. He later gave him N20,000.00 in return and informed him that the fraud
was successful.
[5] BOLATIRI EMMANUEL ONAOPEMIPO is 25years old
from Oyo State. A graduate of FUTA. He is currently a Handset Dealer. He corroborated
Fajobi Olalekan’s statement that they applied for scholarship while in school which turned out to be fake and
they shared their experiences
with the 1st suspect which gave him
an idea on how to design his own
fake Website with OFID name/logo. He
also stated that he lent him the
sum of N8,000.00 and was later paid N12,000.00 with interest.
[6] ADEBOMI OLUWATOSIN – 26years old and a
graduate of FUTA. He is currently working with Delta State
Polytechnic, Ozoro as a Programmer II. According to him, he offered professional
advice to the 1st suspect and
lent him the sum of N10,000.00 and was later given N100,000.00 as his own share.
He confessed that he knew from the onset
that it was fraud aimed at defrauding innocent applicants, since there was no authority from OFID.
Investigation
is on-going. Suspects will be charged to
court soonest.
The
Commissioner of Police, Police Special Fraud Unit, CP Umar F. Idris advises the
general public to verify the genuineness of any on-line advert before parting
with their money. He also uses this
medium to invite the affected victims to Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) No.
13, Milverton Road, Ikoyi – Lagos in furtherance of the investigation.
DSP NGOZI ISINTUME-AGU
Police Public Relations Officer
For: Commissioner of Police
Special Fraud Unit
Ikoyi – Lagos
