Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, NPF-NCCC, have detained a mother and her daughter for their alleged involvement in a romance scam that allegedly scammed a Malta-based victim of over N18 million.
The police said the arrests followed investigations into charges of computer-related fraud, identity theft and money laundering originating from an intelligence report obtained from the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, reports Vanguard.
The police, in a statement by the acting Police Public Liaison Officer, DSP Uwana Imah, described the suspects as 39-year-old Urowhe Diana and her 22-year-old daughter, Rokibat Oluwasheyi Imoru.
Preliminary investigations have shown that a Lagos resident, Emmanuel Amanfo, who is on the run, colluded with Rokibat to register and operate various bank accounts used for fraudulent transactions, the statement said.
“One of the victims has been identified as a Maltese resident, whose identity has been withheld,” the statement stated.
The proceeds of the alleged scheme were moved through money transfer operators and direct payments into various Nigerian bank accounts connected to Rokibat Imoru, police said.
Investigators further said the cash were later transferred into an Ecobank account belonging to her mother, Urowhe Diana, and were allegedly spent.
Forensic examination of the suspects’ digital actions linked both mother and daughter to the romantic fraud operation, the statement said, leading to their arrests.
Police said they were continuing efforts to arrest Emmanuel Amanfo, the husband of Urowhe Diana and stepfather of Rokibat Imoru.
The statement stated that investigation into the matter is still underway and the suspects will be charged to court following conclusion of investigations.
The police has restated the promise of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to defend Nigeria’s cyberspace and fight cybercrime across the country.
The NPF-NCCC also appealed to the general public to report any suspicious cyber-related activity through its official online reporting portal and designated contact channels.
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