Lagos, Nigeria, September 30, 2019//-Nigerian authorities have sentenced six individuals to one year imprisonment each for internet fraud via the social networking site, Facebook.
The suspects convicted in the southern city of Calabar in the Cross Rivers State have been found guilty of running romance scams and impersonating United Nations officials to defraud unsuspecting members of the public of some money.
Prince Anthony, Lawrence Nnamdi-Mba Ebesike, Ugbor Ifeanyi, Promise Odimba, Prince Udeh and Chijioke Victor all pleaded guilty to the charges.
The Federal High Court has issued an option of fines of N500 000 (R20 890).
Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said the arrests were made following reports by members of the public on the suspects’ distrustful activities.
“This follows an intelligence report on their nefarious activities in the town,” he said.
During investigations, police recovered laptops and like gadgets, mobile phones and international passports.
Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy and most populous country with over 190 million people, is facing a surge in internet-based crime.
It is home of the so-called 419 scam, a sophisticated type of advance fee fraud.
https://www.africanpress.co.za/nigeria-convicts-facebook-hackers-for-fraud/
