The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has arrested two suspects over computer-related fraud, identity theft, cryptocurrency fraud and obtaining money by false pretence.

The force’s public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the suspects specialise in defrauding unsuspecting victims of foreign countries by assuming the identities of other persons and promising romantic relationships.

“In the extant case, a report on their activities was received from Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency in Korea through the Interpol National Central Bureau.

“The report indicated that in May, 2021, the suspects approached the victim, one Baek Seong-hee, a Korean national, via Kakaotalk, a mobile messaging application used especially in South Korea.

“The duo approached the victim, in the guise of being a member of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Yemen.

“They used the pretext of a romantic relationship and defrauded the victim of 259,637,941 Korean Won (KRW) worth of cryptocurrency equivalent to about N91 million,” he said.

He said the arrest of the suspects in their hideout in Benin City was made after investigations by the NPF-NCCC.

Mr Adejobi said the suspects had confessed to being part of a syndicate responsible for the crime.

“They have also stated their roles as accomplices who provided bank accounts for fraudsters in furtherance of their nefarious activities,” he said. 

(NAN)