Nigeria jails 15 Asians, including Malaysian, for cyber-terrorism and internet scams
LAGOS, May 31 — A Nigerian court jailed 15 foreign nationals yesterday — all Asians — for 'cyber-terrorism and internet fraud', the national anti-graft agency said, one of the largest such cases in the country.
Eleven Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian and one Indonesian were sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of one million naira (about RM2,681) each in the commercial capital, Lagos, after pleading guilty, said Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesman Dele Oyewale.
They were accused of recruiting young Nigerians for 'identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality'.
'The judges also ordered that the devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria,' Oyewale said.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is saddled with a reputation for internet fraudsters known in local slang as 'Yahoo Boys'.
The EFCC has busted several hideouts where young criminals learn their scams.
Cybercrime experts also warn that foreign 'cybercrime syndicates' have set up shop in the country to exploit its weak cybersecurity systems.
The EFCC said foreign gangs recruited Nigerian accomplices to find victims online through phishing scams, in which attackers typically try to deceive victims into transferring them money or revealing sensitive information such as passwords.
The scams target mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and Europeans, the agency said.
In December, the EFCC arrested 792 suspects in a single operation in the affluent Victoria Island area of Lagos.
At least 192 of the suspects were foreign nationals — 148 of them Chinese, the agency said.
Dozens of other Chinese suspects are also standing trial for similar crimes. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Fake transit ploy foiled at KLIA, 105 foreign nationals ordered to leave
The border control agency said it would enhance its surveilance at all international gateways in the country and conduct thorough checks on all foreigners entering or leaving the country. PETALING JAYA : An attempt by a group of foreign nationals to enter the country on the pretext of being here on transit was thwarted by the Malaysian border control agency at KLIA on Thursday. The agency said that over 400 individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India were screened during a targeted operation at Terminal 1, Bernama reported. 'Of these, 105 were found not to meet entry requirements and were subsequently ordered to return to their countries of origin. 'The tactic involved claiming to be transiting through Malaysia en route to a third country,' the agency was quoted as saying in a statement. However, investigations conducted in collaboration with the airlines revealed that their connecting flight tickets to these third-country destinations had been cancelled as soon as the individuals boarded their flights to KLIA. 'This was a deliberate ploy to mislead immigration officers,' it said. The agency said it would enhance its surveilance at all international gateways in the country and conduct thorough checks on all individuals entering or leaving Malaysia. It also issued a stern warning, stressing that no leniency would be shown to any party, including immigration officers found to be negligent or complicit, who will face disciplinary and legal action.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Nigeria jails a Malaysian, an Indonesian, two Chinese and 11 Filipinos for internet scams
LAGOS: A Nigerian court jailed 15 foreign nationals Friday (May 30) — including a Malaysian — for 'cyber-terrorism and internet fraud,' the national anti-graft agency said, one of the largest such cases in the country. Eleven Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian and one Indonesian were sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of one million naira (about US$630) each in the commercial capital, Lagos, after pleading guilty, said Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesman Dele Oyewale. They were accused of recruiting young Nigerians for 'identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality.' 'The judges also ordered that the devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria,' Oyewale said. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is saddled with a reputation for internet fraudsters known in local slang as 'Yahoo Boys.' The EFCC has busted several hideouts where young criminals learn their scams. Cybercrime experts also warn that foreign 'cybercrime syndicates' have set up shop in the country to exploit its weak cybersecurity systems. The EFCC said foreign gangs recruited Nigerian accomplices to find victims online through phishing scams, in which attackers typically try to deceive victims into transferring them money or revealing sensitive information such as passwords. The scams target mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and Europeans, the agency said. In December, the EFCC arrested 792 suspects in a single operation in the affluent Victoria Island area of Lagos. At least 192 of the suspects were foreign nationals — 148 of them Chinese, the agency said. Dozens of other Chinese suspects are also standing trial for similar crimes. - AFP
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Nigeria jails 15 Asians, including Malaysian, for cyber-terrorism and internet scams
LAGOS, May 31 — A Nigerian court jailed 15 foreign nationals yesterday — all Asians — for 'cyber-terrorism and internet fraud', the national anti-graft agency said, one of the largest such cases in the country. Eleven Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian and one Indonesian were sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of one million naira (about RM2,681) each in the commercial capital, Lagos, after pleading guilty, said Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesman Dele Oyewale. They were accused of recruiting young Nigerians for 'identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality'. 'The judges also ordered that the devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria,' Oyewale said. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is saddled with a reputation for internet fraudsters known in local slang as 'Yahoo Boys'. The EFCC has busted several hideouts where young criminals learn their scams. Cybercrime experts also warn that foreign 'cybercrime syndicates' have set up shop in the country to exploit its weak cybersecurity systems. The EFCC said foreign gangs recruited Nigerian accomplices to find victims online through phishing scams, in which attackers typically try to deceive victims into transferring them money or revealing sensitive information such as passwords. The scams target mostly Americans, Canadians, Mexicans and Europeans, the agency said. In December, the EFCC arrested 792 suspects in a single operation in the affluent Victoria Island area of Lagos. At least 192 of the suspects were foreign nationals — 148 of them Chinese, the agency said. Dozens of other Chinese suspects are also standing trial for similar crimes. — AFP
