The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC)has dismantled a transnational fraud syndicate and arrested a suspect who allegedly posed as a World Bank official to defraud victims.
Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid, disclosed this in Abuja, noting that the operation followed credible intelligence from the East Africa Sub-Sahara Africa Safe Promotion (EA-SSASPF) Foundation a Nairobi-based NGO.
Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly deceived victims by claiming affiliation with the World Bank and other international donor organisations. Through these claims, he convinced victims to make payments under the pretext of accessing grant funding.
According to the police, victims reportedly transferred about 250,000 dollars over three years, believing the funds were for registration and administrative processes tied to donor support programmes.
However, authorities confirmed that no such funding existed. Instead, the suspect allegedly organised fake conferences and symposiums in Nigeria and South Africa to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.
The scheme reportedly escalated in 2024 when victims were persuaded to secure a bank loan using family property, in a bid to access a non-existent 850,000-dollar empowerment fund in Ghana.
Further financial investigations showed additional inflows, including nearly 58,000 dollars received between February and July 2023.
Police said the suspect was arrested on March 31,and that his organisation, Black Diamond African Beauty Restoration Foundation, was not registered in Nigeria.
To allegedly cover his tracks, he later registered another company, United African Continent Limited, in November 2024.
Authorities also discovered that the suspect extended the scheme locally, targeting farmers in Kuje Area Council, Abuja, where individuals were reportedly asked to pay N50,000 each for supposed empowerment programmes.
In a related case, operatives of the cybercrime unit arrested another suspect on April 3 following a complaint filed on behalf of NewLife Ventures Makurdi.
The individual, a former employee of the company, is accused of tampering with company systems, diverting funds and engaging in cybersquatting.
Police said the suspect admitted to receiving customer payments through personal bank accounts. Items recovered from him include a mobile phone and identity documents.
The Nigeria Police reiterated its commitment to tackling cybercrime and warned members of the public to be cautious when dealing with individuals or organisations claiming to offer international funding opportunities.
