By Suoyo EkuboÂ
The Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), said it has returned the sum of $26,000USD about N23 million to a 70 year-old British woman Christine Brown, who was defrauded of her life savings by an Internet fraudster ‘Yahoo boy’.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday after it had recovered the said fund and returned it to the victim on Monday, August 28, 2023.
The 70-year-old had petitioned the Commission after being defrauded by an internet fraudster through a romance scam.
According to her she never knew he was a fraudster especially when they became romantically involved.
She said, she became a victim after she met a purported John Barrowman, an entertainer and citizen of America online. Unknown to her, he was a fraudster. Brown also said they became romantically involved, and the fraudster began to demand money which she sent to him through wire transfers, Bitcoin and gift cards.
However, Brown expressed gratitude to the Commission for its efforts which she said, has brought some succour to her after losing her life’s savings to the fraudsters.
Meanwhile, Kanu Idagu, the Zonal Commander, while handing over the recovered fund, said the Commission will continue to discharge its mandate to the betterment of the society. “We are doing a whole lot in ensuring that victims of fraud are restituted where possible, and we will continue to do more,” he said.
He also admonished the public to be circumspect in whatever they do online as fraudsters prowl the internet seeking to defraud unsuspecting victims.
