SFU raises alarm over increase in fraud

The Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police in Ikoyi, Lagos State has decided to take proactive steps and team up with foreign embassies to check the sudden increase in internet fraud.
This concern was noted after more than five foreigners were duped by Nigerians, who bought items online but fraudulently dodged payment for the goods.
According to the Commissioner of Police in charge of the SFU, Tunde Ogunsakin, series of petitions were received by him via the Unit’s e-mail, alerting him of nefarious activities of these fraudsters.
In one of the petitions, the victim, Theofani Postinadou, a Greek national, alleged that sometime in March 2013, she was deceived by one Abeeb Akorede of 7, Ibadan Road, Ile-Ife, Osun State into sending an expensive musical instrument, with tracking number CP 311584385CR, to him.
Postinadou stated further that the fraudster, with e-mail address, mmrayo4@gmail.com, later requested that she should pay additional 225 euro as clearance fee to custom authority in Nigeria via Western Union money transfer and that the custom authority address is Steven Alad, No. 22 Owo Road, Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria.
And that after the payment of 225 euro, then the total sum of 1,725 euro would be credited into his account.
Ogunsakin said: “In another development, a petition came from Greece Embassy, Abuja alleging that another of their citizen, one Panigyrakis, had also been defrauded in a similar scam like the first victim. In this one, the victim was lured into sending some computer on July 11, 2013 and was to be received by one Kenny Mike of No. 22 Gbadebo Street, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The package has tracking number CP 320489192GR. It was after sending the package that the victim discovered that the bank statement sent to him by the fraudster was a fake and as such, he could not get his payment for the goods.”
Ogunsakin also noted that one Simon Pullen, a US citizen, reported that his wife sold a mobile phone to one Resonance James of 16, Oduduwa Street, Lagos and sent the package through Royal Mail, with tracking number RU67402978gb.
Pullen further that it was when they got an e-mail from the fraudster, requesting them to send the tracking number before the payment could be made that they suspected foul play and contacted paypal.
They were shocked when they were informed that there was no record of such transaction in their system.
Also, one Dina A, another US citizen, reported that she posted an advertisement online for purchase and one Tobby Nate of 8, Marina Street, Lagos sent her an invoice via paypal and later sent a false paypal confirmation via e-mail and instructed her to mail the package through Express USPS, which she did on August 11, 2013.
Surprisingly, an e-mail came from paypal requesting that he should upgrade his account by $380 through Western Union money transfer to one Johnson Adegunwa in Lagos State.
Again, one Matt Wight equally reported that he sent a package containing Iphone 5 through USPS on September, 7, 2013 to one William Scott of 4, Iyaniya Street, Molete, Ibadan through fake paypal e-mail and was told that he needed to provide the tracking number before payment could be made.
He sent this number: LN499109302US and was never paid.
He stated further that the fake paypal e-mail was tompowel6@gmail.com and the fraudster claimed the phone was for his pastor.
Ogunsakin said: “SFU operatives launched an investigation into the petitions and intercepted all the packages with the assistance of the Nigerian Postal Services. All the victims were duped through the same modus operandi. The fraudsters all sent fake bank fund transfer documents as payments for the parcels and the victims never got any payment for their goods.
“The musical instrument sent by one Theophani Postinadous had been sent directly to her in Greece while the recovered item for Panyyrakis was handed over to the Greece Embassy for transmission to the owner in Greece. Meanwhile, the remaining three packages sent by the US citizens are still in the Unit custody and necessary measures are in place to return the items to their various owners.
“None of the suspects was arrested as they refused to show up to claim their packages. I wish to use this medium to request that various Embassies should launch an enlightenment campaign on the prevalence of this mode of obtaining goods by false pretences from their unsuspecting victims. I am also reassuring the public of the Unit’s commitment to fight internet fraudsters and advise that such cases should be promptly reported through the Unit e-mails: specialfraudunitlagos@yahoo.com, sfulagos@yahoo.com, info@specialfraudunit.org.ng and Website: specialfraudunit.org.ng.”