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How Bank Accounts Are Hacked Revealed

Published

10 months ago

August 1, 2023

Ademola, one of the suspects in a syndicate that specialised in hacking into bank customers’ portals to move money from different customers’ accounts has narrated how he and his syndicate hack customers’ accounts.

Two suspected members of the syndicate were arrested by the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos with the recovery of victims’ SIM cards with which monies were withdrawn.

It was gathered that a preliminary investigation by the zone revealed that the suspects identified as Yusuf Ademola (40) and Adeshina Abiodun (50), arrested in their hideout in the Ijebu-Ode area of Ogun State, had succeeded in moving money from no fewer than 1,000 bank customers’ accounts.

Members of the syndicate, it was gathered, were spread all over the country and were very coordinated, as some of them specialised in collating SIM cards from stolen phones from one state, passed them to another team that would sort out the victims’ banks, before transferring them to their members in other states, who would use the bank’s code to get the victim’s other details that would enable them to withdraw money electronically.

Ademola, who claimed during an interrogation that he was a mere errand boy to the syndicate said: “One of my friends in Kano State gave me a telephone number to help him open an account in an old generation bank. I knew him in Kano when I was serving in Nasarawa State.

“I called Adeshina (pointing to the second suspect) to open an account with the phone number. But he said he already had an account with the bank. All he did was to go back to the bank to change the phone number, after which I informed my friend in Kano that an account had been opened with the telephone number he gave me.

“After one hour, he sent me N1.2 million, out of which I gave Adeshina N500,000. I don’t know how he did it. But I knew he was a yahoo guy (internet fraudster). He only told me the money was the fee for opening an account with the number he gave me.

“So far, I have opened three different accounts for my friend in Kano. He gave me N20,000 the first time, N300,000 the second time and this is the third time.

“The Police arrested Adeshina first and he brought them to my house, after he told them I was the one that gave him the telephone number.”

On his part, Adeshina admitted to having replaced the telephone number in his account with the one given to him by Ademola.

He said: “I agreed to change the number because he said someone wanted to use the bank account. This was done six months ago. But the Police tracked me with the number on the account,” Vanguard quoted him.

Headline

$2.5bn Fraud: EFCC To Collaborate With UK Prosecutors In Diezani’s Case

Published

4 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

There were signs over the weekend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission plans to join forces with the United Kingdom prosecutors as an interested party in the trial of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in a UK court.

A team from the anti-graft commission is expected in London to initiate this process by filing relevant documents, the Nation reports.

According to a source privy to the information, the EFCC intends to share its findings and the Abuja high court’s forfeiture order concerning Diezani’s $2.5 million properties and vehicles with the UK court.

“This country may not be able to retrieve questionable assets from Diezani if the EFCC does not file an application as an interested party. We have received an advisory on this important bend to Diezani’s trial and we will be part of the case in the UK. A team will leave for London any moment from now to explore legal opportunities and file necessary papers as an interested party.

“The overall aim is for Nigeria to benefit from Diezani’s trial, especially the recovery of all assets linked to funds looted in this country. The EFCC has sufficient evidence against Diezani, including a court order on the former minister’s $2.5 million homes and cars.

“In another case, a former chairman of EFCC confirmed that the commission recovered $153 million and secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $ 80 million. The allegations against Diezani by the EFCC border on the alleged stealing of about $2.5 billion from Nigeria’s coffers as a minister.” the source said.

The source continued, “It is necessary for this nation to rise to the occasion because, in March 2023, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled them to recover assets totalling $53.1 million linked to Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.

“Like the P&ID case, the EFCC has sufficient evidence to pull through a case against Diezani. We want all stolen, diverted and questionable assets back in the custody of Nigeria for the good use of our citizens.I think the EFCC is collaborating with the NCA in the UK on this.

“It is also unclear if the UK court will ask Diezani to return to Nigeria to serve prison terms if convicted. This is why we also need to be an interested party in the case in the UK.”

Last year, the Head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, Andy Kelly, said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation”.

“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries.

“We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat.”

Diezani is currently facing trial at the Southwark Crown Court in the UK over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

The National Crime Agency alleged that Diezani could have received benefits worth at least £100,000, including cash, chauffeured cars, private jet flights, luxury family vacations, and multiple London properties.

On October 2, 2023, a Magistrate Court granted bail to the former Minister for £70,000, considering her a potential flight risk.

The trial proceedings for Diezani’s case are scheduled to commence in November 2025.

In October 2023, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, submitted a warrant of arrest and request to the Crown Prosecution Services of the United Kingdom for the urgent extradition of a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

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Five-year-old Boy Shot Dead By Hijackers In South Africa

Published

17 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

A 5-year-old boy, Ditebogo Junior, was shot dead after his father’s Toyota Hilux was hijacked outside their home in Soshanguve, in the north of Gauteng, South Africa.

Police spokesperson, Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said that the child had gone out to welcome his father, Ditebogo Phalane, when he arrived home around 10:30pm on Friday, May 10, 2024.

“An unconfirmed number of armed suspects allegedly hijacked the father’s White Toyota bakkie and shot the five-year-old boy who later died in hospital,” Masondo said.

Phalane’s cousin, Gift Makoti took to X to share the heartbreaking news about the boy’s passing.

“My cousin was Hijacked hours ago in Soshanguve block Uu, they took his Bakkie. He was with his son, they shot the 5yr old boy!! He didn’t make it!! What has this country come to now!!!!!???! That’s a CHILD man!!!!!!” he wrote

He posted photos of the young boy, Ditebogo Phalane Jnr, with his father smiling and looking happy. He said that the boy’s father was inconsolable.

“He and his son had a strong bond. His son was always out and about with him, keeping him company. I don’t know how he is going to live without his son,” he said

The tragic incident has left social media users shocked and angry.

Many have made contributions to help erect a tombstone for the boy.

Headline

American Comedian, James Gregory Is Dead

Published

18 hours ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

American comedian, James Gregory, known for calling himself “The Funniest Man in America” has passed on at the age of 78.

Gregory’s family said he died on Thursday, May 9, from cardiac complications.

James took up comedy in the early ’80s when he was 36 after years of working as a salesman, and, he became the first comedian to take the stage at the legendary Punchline club in Atlanta.

While he was known as a Southern comedian, he traveled all across the country performing shows for the next four decades.

His biggest claim to fame came when he dubbed himself “The Funniest Man in America” in the ’80s, and, later he took the URL domain “funniestman.com”, cementing himself in his fans’ minds as the funniest man.

He is survived by his three nieces and other extended family.