EFCC convicts two for Crypto, Facebook scam in Abuja

EFCC convicts two for Crypto, Facebook scam in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Command, on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, secured the conviction one Canice Agabi before Justice A.Y. Shafa of the FCT High Court Gwagwalada-Abuja on one count charge bordering on personation. Agabi, sometime in 2021 at Abuja presented himself as an American citizen and created an Instagram account with the username ‘Randy Sylvester’ and benefitted a total sum of $1,000 (One Thousand United States Dollars) from one Anne Fuscelaro, a United States citizen, whom he misled into believing that he was into Bitcoin Investment and that, she could earn good return on investment if she invested in his cryptocurrency company, Prime Cash Investment, a fact he knew was false.

The offence is contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act”. He pleaded guilty. Following his guilty plea, Justice Shafa convicted and sentenced Agabi to three months imprisonment with an option of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. The convict, who had earlier returned $200 (Two Hundred United States Dollars) is to pay a further sum of N623,000 (Six Hundred and Twenty Three Thousand Naira) in restitution to the Federation Account.

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Justice Shafa also ordered that his Samsung Note 10 mobile phone which he used to commit the crime be burnt in the court premises. In the same vein, Justice Shafa also convicted one Nwozor Martins following his guilty plea to one count of fraud Nwozor’s charge reads,

“that you, Nwozor Martins sometime between July 2022 and April 2023 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court while representing yourself to be one Camela Onyinye, a female Nigerian citizen and a purported Chief Executive of Binary Trade Investment, uploaded and knowingly substituted her picture with yours on your Facebook social platform and WhatsApp profile account number 0807446172; from which you benefitted the aggregate sum of N570,000.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) from a certain Bashir Bello and others which you received via your account number 306660587 domiciled in Access Bank Plc and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532 Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law”.

Nwozor was sentenced to three months in prison with an option of fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred thousand Naira Only). Nwozor who had earlier refunded N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) as restitution, is to pay the balance of N370,000 (Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) to the Federation account. His iPhone and Tecno phones are also to be burnt in the court premises.