The in Enugu State have confirmed the arrest of two suspected Internet fraudsters who allegedly created a fake Facebook account using the profile of the Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo.
Police spokesman in the State SP Ebere Amaraizu disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
He gave the names of the suspects as Richard Onyema, 36, a native of Amokohia in Imo State who resides at No 20 Mbano Camp, Obigbo Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Richard Odinaka Amadi, 40, a native of Mbaitoli in Imo State who also resides at Omagwa, Rivers State.
He said the suspects specialised in the use of prominent persons’ profile to open Facebook accounts with a view to defrauding unsuspecting members of the public.
Amaraizu disclosed that the suspects, who created the fake Facebook account of the deputy governor allegedly used it to dupe unsuspecting members of the public to the tune of N635,000, as they promised to help their victims get contract awards.
“They have been in the business of creating fake Facebook accounts of any identified prominent /eminent persons and use same to lure unsuspecting members of the public into believing that they are the person that they are impersonating and present a contract scenario in which, through the process, their victims are duped”, he said.
Amaraizu disclosed that the suspects were nabbed on October 2 in Rivers State through intelligence by the operatives of the Anti-Kidnap Unit of the Enugu State Police Command.
He said the suspects who were now helping the operatives in their investigations have regretted their action, blaming it on their continual quest to get rich quick.
Amaraizu further stated that “They further revealed that what they do is to create a Facebook account of prominent government/eminent persons and pretend to be that person and use same to defraud people by asking them to pay some amount of money for jobs and contracts through a certain bank account that they will provide.”
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