32-Year-Old MAPOLY Student , School Proprietor Arrested in N1.23 Billion Airtime Fraud
A 32-year-old student and a school proprietor have been apprehended by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) in Lagos for their alleged involvement in a N1.23 billion airtime fraud. The proceeds of the fraud, including real estate, vehicles, and cryptocurrency, have been traced to the suspects’ accounts and seized.
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A 32-year-old student and a school proprietor have been apprehended by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) in Lagos for their alleged involvement in a N1.23 billion airtime fraud.
Timothy Oluwabukola Fashina, a student at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta, Ogun State,and Anthony Imonina Odemerho ,Proprietor of Resign Regal Academy in Benin City, Edo State, are accused of perpetuating a fraudulent scheme that defrauded a GSM operator of a substantial amount.
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According to the PSFU Public Relations Officer, SP Eyitayo Johnson, investigations revealed that between February and March 2024, Fashina, in collaboration with unidentified third-party web/application developers, exploited a vulnerability in the GSM company’s system. Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to mask their identity,the suspects accessed the company’s network and manipulated the Application Programme Interface (API) to generate multiple fraudulent airtime tickets worth N100,000 each.
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Anthony Imonina, acting as an accomplice, is alleged to have downloaded the GSM provider's mobile app and used Fashina's phone number and OTP to gain unauthorized access. He subsequently converted the fraudulent airtime into data, which was sold to 52 subscribers, generating N1.315 billion.
The proceeds of the fraud, including real estate, vehicles, and cryptocurrency, have been traced to the suspects’ accounts and seized. The PSFU has filed criminal charges against Fashina and Imonina and is actively pursuing the arrest of the third-party developers involved in the crime. Efforts are also underway to identify and recover additional assets acquired through the fraudulent activities.
Source: Punch
