Internet Fraudsters Bag 4 Years Jail Term in Port Harcourt, 11 new Arrests  in Abuja

Justice S. Pam of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state has convicted and sentenced two internet Fraudsters: Emmanuel Wisdom and Donald Etege to two years imprisonment each for impersonation and obtaining money under false pretence.

They were jailed on Tuesday , October 29, 2024 upon being arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one -count separate charge  bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.

The lone count against Eteg’s reads:

“That you Donald Etege sometime in 2024 in Port Harcourt Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with the intent to defraud obtained the total sum of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars Only ($1,500) from one Lisa Ricks under the pretence that you are a Bitcoin Trader, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the said Act.

The count against Wisdom reads; that you, Emmanuel Wisdom [a.k.a Sam Freidrich] between the 10th day of August and the 1st day of October, 2024, in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, obtained the sum of One Thousand, Two Hundred United States of America Dollars ($1,200) from one Tony Grozdan, as investment in cryptocurrency trade, which you claimed to have the capacity to manage and yield profit thereon, which pretext you  knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Same Act. They both pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them separately.

Also, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested Chima Anthony Nwigwe, suspected leader of banks’ hacking syndicate alongside three others: Effiong Victor Emmanuel, Mohammed Bello Mahmud, managing director, Downstone Ultimate Limited and Daminan Ali for alleged conspiracy, unauthorized access to banks’ computer systems and fraudulent withdrawal of depositors’ funds.

They were arrested in a sting operation in Abuja following actionable intelligence about their suspected involvement in hacking, compromising databases of commercial banks, thereby causing fraudulent transfers and withdrawals through different digital platforms.

All the suspects according to Dele Oyewale, head, media and publicity, EFCC, will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.