The Inspector-General of Police Usman Alkali Baba, has called on users of online banking platforms to be vigilant with regard to their personal information, so as not to become victims of fraudsters.
Baba also urged all citizens and residents in the country, as stakeholders in ensuring maximum security, to report all suspicious cyber activities.
This is against the background of recent operations by the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which led to the arrest of the trio of Sanmi Ayodeji (29 years), Felix Oluwaseun (24 years), and Adeleye Oluwaseun (32 years) for fraudulently transferring over N16million from a Point of Sale (POS) account.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the NPF spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the suspects signed up on a POS platform known as Tmoni Technologies Company using their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and those of their friends and relatives without their consent.
“They proceeded to open valid wallet accounts with Tmoni, manipulated the company network security system, and fraudulently transferred funds to the tune of N16.1m from the Tmoni platform to various online accounts from where they made subsequent withdrawals, ” the statement alleged.
The suspects were eventually arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, by operatives of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre, after an official complaint was lodged by the financial controller of the Tmoni platform.
Upon their arrest, the suspects were found in possession of several mobile phones, POS machines, SIM cards, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards, and one Toyota Matrix car with registration no. KUJ 548 CN which they confessed was bought with proceeds of the crime, according to the police.
The suspects will be charged to court as soon as possible, the Police.