I actually thought the era of 419 and “yahoo yahoo” was now out of fashion. However, it appears there are still a few young boys who still engage in this fradulent act and defrauding innocent people from all over the world. Check out this story from Punch today about an Undergraduate from IMSU, Uche Akobundu, who had made over $48,000 defrauding people from dating sites.

According to the police, Akobundu went by various pseudonyms such as Devon Miles and Martin Williams, which he used to impersonate American men. The suspect, who claimed to be studying Microbiology, said he posed as an American living in Nigeria.

He said, “I started this business three years ago at a cybercafé near my parents’ home at Fadeyi, Ikeja. I joined the business because it was in vogue at the time.

“What I do is to register on a dating website. I then create a profile for myself, posing as a 49-year-old American widower or divorcee living in Nigeria. I also upload the photograph of a handsome man and use an American name. After making them fall in love with me, I will ask them to send money for air ticket so that I can come visit them or I could tell them that my child is ill and I need money for treatment.”

When asked how much he had made since he became a fraudster, the suspect said he had made over N8m. He said, “Last year, I travelled to South Africa and lodged in a prestigious hotel in Pretoria for a while and I enjoyed myself very well. “I don’t have a car and I did not invest in anything. I was only using the money to take care of my needs.”

The indigene of Imo State said his parents were not aware of his criminal lifestyle. He begged the police to release him so that he could write his final year examinations.

Read the rest of the story following the link below:

Undergraduate, bank employees arrested for Internet fraud