Cybercriminals steal from 1,000 bank accounts across the country
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police have arrested two members of a syndicate which has hacked at least 1,000 bank accounts across the country that are linked with Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs).
Lagos Police spokesperson Hauwa Idris-Adamu, a Superintendent of Police, said the suspects, who specialised in hacking local banks, were arrested at their hideout in Ijebu Ode in Ogun following a petition from United Bank for Africa (UBA).
Idris-Adamu named the suspects as Yusuf Ademola and Adesina Abiodun, adding efforts are ongoing to arrest other suspects in the heist.
“On May 8, 2023, a petition was submitted by United Bank for Africa to the Assistant Inspector General of Police that there are some syndicates that specialise in internet fraud of various banks in Nigeria, most especially United Bank for Africa, in which they hack into customers’ accounts and move their monies,” she explained in a statement.
“Based on the petition, the AIG raised a team of detectives from the Zonal Monitoring Unit, who swung into action with the aid of modern technology, and two suspects, Yusuf Ademola, 40, and Adesina Abiodun, 50, were tracked down at their hideout in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.”
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Suspects confessed to crime
“The suspects confessed to the crime that they have many syndicates all over Nigeria and that they use software to hack into customers’ accounts and move their money undetected from any bank they wish,” Idris-Adamu added, per The PUNCH.
“However, the modus operandi of these fraudsters is to have a customer’s BVN linked phone number and bank alert for easy transfer of the money.”
“Over 1,000 customers’ accounts have been hacked and defrauded across the country.”
Idris-Adamu said investigation shows members of the syndicate are drawn from different parts of the country and efforts are in top gear to arrest all the suspects.
“In the interim, the investigation is still ongoing and suspects will soon be arraigned in court upon completion of the investigation.”
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