Three internet fraudsters jailed for $500 scam in Port Harcourt

Three internet fraudsters jailed for $500 scam in Port Harcourt

Three internet fraudsters have been convicted and sentenced to 30 months imprisonment each by Justices P. I. Ajoku and S. D. Pam of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The convicts—Rex Akah Kinikachi Kelvin, Kennedy Chinedu Eleyi-Waltar, and Chris Orji—were found guilty of impersonation and obtaining money under false pretence. They were sentenced on Tuesday, 20 May 2025, following their arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Each was charged separately with defrauding unsuspecting victims through fake online identities. Rex Akah Kinikachi Kelvin, for instance, posed as an American fashion model on Telegram to trick Denise D. Moore into sending him $500 in February 2024.

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All three pleaded guilty when their charges were read. Prosecuting counsels H. O. Nweze, N. A. Dodo, and M. Abubakar presented documents which were admitted as evidence. Defence lawyers Eugene S. A. Kyenge and B. E. Onuoha asked the court to show leniency, citing their clients’ clean records and first-time offender status.

The court sentenced each to 30 months imprisonment at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, with an option of a ₦200,000 fine payable to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Account. Additionally, several items recovered from the convicts—including luxury smartphones and a Toyota Highlander SUV—were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.

Before release, each convict must swear an affidavit of good behaviour.

Their arrest stemmed from a sting operation by EFCC operatives in March 2025 across various locations in Port Harcourt targeting internet-related fraud.

 

Three internet fraudsters jailed for $500 scam in Port Harcourt