A 32-year-old Nigerian who scammed a pastor of over Rs 24 lakh (N12,385,403.19) by posing as a Canadian philanthropist that wished to offer donation of money and masks to the less-priviledged individuals that were worst hit by COVID-19 has been apprehended by the Police in Hyderabad.
According to the police, after the lockdown, the accused person, Morgan, who is based in Bangalore, dated pastor Moses of Banjara Hills via a social networking platform by posing as a Canadian philanthropist.
While talking about the Crime committed by the accused person, Cybercrime ACP KVM Prasad said: “Morgan told pastor Moses that he was upset about the poor, who were worst affected by the pandemic. Morgan told Moses that he donates money for charity and expressed his willingness to send some money to Moses along with other items like sanitisers, masks and laptops to distribute among the poor.”
After Moses agreed to share the items, he got a phone call from a woman, who acted as a customs official at the Delhi airport and notified him about an international parcel that they seized.
The ACP said: “The fraudster posing as a customs official asked the pastor to pay the processing fee and customs duty to clear it for dispatch. After Moses deposited a few lakhs of rupees in the bank accounts mentioned, she kept asking him to deposit more in the name of income tax and money laundering fine. In one month, Moses had sent Rs 24.39 lakh before realising that he was duped and lodged a complaint on August 19.”
The accused was arrested by Bangalore police in a similar fraud and Morgan was brought to the city by Hyderabad police on prisoner transit warrant.
