How Nigerian fraud suspect allegedly dupes victims in 13 countries — EFCC

A prosecution witness told the Federal High Court in Abuja how a scam suspect allegedly defrauded his victims in 13 countries of $382,000 worth of bitcoins.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Eze Harrison Arinze on 24 March on five counts.

The charges include false pretence and money laundering to the tune of $769,263.
At the resumed trial of the case on Tuesday, EFCC’s first prosecution, Ogunjobi Olalekan, who is an officer of the commission, testified before the judge, J. K. Omotosho.

“We requested for users on the platform who have deposited crypto currency to the defendant’s account and their names were provided. About thirty persons on the platforms deposited various sums of bitcoin to the defendant’s account,”

READ EFCC’S FULL STATEMENT

EFCC Press Release

$382,000 Fraud: How Suspected Fraudster duped his victims from 13 Countries in a Bitcoins Scam

A 1st prosecution witness in the trial of Eze Harrison Arinze, has told Justice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, how Arinze received $382,000 (Three Hundred and Eighty Two Thousand United States Dollars) worth of bitcoins from his victims before his account was blocked by his Virtual Asset Service Provider , VASP.

The witness, Ogunjobi Olalekan, an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, told the court that Arinze’s victims were deceived into withdrawing their funds and deposited them into Arinze’s bitcoin accounts, thinking that they were transacting legitimate businesses.

Arinze was arraigned on March 22, 2023, before Justice Omotosho, on five count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence and money laundering to the tune of $769,263 (Seven Hundred and Sixty Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty Three United States Dollars).

One of the counts against him reads; “That you, Eze Harrison Arinze alias Charlotte Brain, sometimes between April, 2022 and December, 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did fraudulently impersonate one Charlotte Brain, a purported owner of Digitrades.Ltd/Digitrades.Net/Swiss-Earnings/Craystal-Trade investment platform on Telegram and in that assumed character obtained crypto currency worth $592,000.00(Five Hundred and Ninety Two Thousand USD) from your victims through your bitcoins wallet address-333…. Domiciled with Coinbase, a Virtual Assets Service Provider (VASP) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(3)(b) Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2012 and Punishable under the same Act.”

Another count reads: “That you, Eze Harrison Arinze alias Charlotte Brain, while being the owner of Digitrades.Ltd/Digitrades.Net/Swiss-Earnings/Crystal-Trade, a purported investment platform on Telegram, sometime between 28th October, 2022 and 7th December, 2022, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, with the intent to defraud, obtained 9.771 bitcoins worth $168,000.00(One Hundred and Sixty Eight Thousand US Dollars) transferred to your bitcoins wallet address 333…, domiciled with a Coinbase, a Virtual Assets Service Provider(VASP) under the false pretence that the said sum is for crypto currency investments, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

At the resumed trial of the case, Olalekan told the court that:

“We requested for users on the platform who have deposited crypto currency to the defendant’s account and their names were provided. About thirty persons on the platforms deposited various sums of bitcoin to the defendant’s account”.