The Central Directorate of the Judicial Police got hold of six (6) individuals belonging to two (02) different criminal networks on April 19, 23, 24 and 25, 2023.
The first network is made up of the names Dzifa and Heze, gas station attendants, then Agnim, an accomplice. All three (03) are Togolese and live in Lomé.
The second network is made up of the named: Isaiah, Iliesu and Kelvin, all of Nigerian nationality, unemployed and residing in Lomé in the Forever district.
The first network, according to the police, is the author of aggravated thefts of cash by intrusion into the computer system of a company selling petroleum products and domestic gas. According to the explanations of the police, the three alleged criminals are employees of the company.
“Taking advantage of their responsibilities relating to the management of requests for the establishment of prepaid cards, these individuals are illegally entering the computer system of the company. They create prepaid cards in the name of their accomplices who they present as clients. The cards thus fraudulently created are supplied to the tune of several million FCFA to the detriment of the company, whose funds will not receive any consideration for these operations”, specifies the police.
She adds that “the investigations made it possible to get hold of the man named Dzifa, a pump attendant at a gas station of the said company located in the port area. Questioned, he admits having fraudulently supplied one of the incriminated cards to the tune of 10 million francs which he collected and shared with his accomplice Agnim, watchman of the victim company. The search of the latter’s home made it possible to find a prepaid card initially supplied with 10 million francs and whose current balance is 5 million francs. The continuation of the investigations made it possible to identify and arrest in Tchébébé (P / Sotouboua) on April 24, 2023, the named Heze, also a gas station attendant, in possession of a sum of 4,959,000 FCFA, remainder of a product of 15 million . Questioned, he recognizes that the money found in his possession comes from one of the fuel cards fraudulently supplied to the tune of 15 million. Card which would be held by one of the two accomplices on the run and actively sought by our services”.
Regarding the second network, the police reveal that it operates in cybercrime precisely in the “love chat” scam.
She points out that the members of this network were arrested on April 25, 2023 on information following a police raid on an apartment located in Lomé in the Forever district.
The immediate search of the apartment led to the seizure of eleven (11) laptop computers; five (05) mobile phones; two (02) wifi routers.
The analysis and exploitation of these digital media have made it possible to discover that these individuals engage in cyber fraud activities from their apartment. To do this, they create fictitious accounts on social networks such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and Instagram with photos and videos of the daily life of individuals residing in Europe, Asia or the United States. Using these fictitious accounts, they offer romantic relationships to women from various walks of life. On the basis of these relationships, they demand large sums of money from their victims, citing health reasons, financial problems and offering them in return the sharing of a fictitious inheritance. As soon as they collect the money, they break off all contact, ”says the police.
She points out that these individuals acknowledged the facts and declared that they had been engaged in this activity since their arrival in Togo, at least three (03) years ago.
Investigations are continuing with a view to questioning the other members of this network. All these individuals will be presented before the Public Prosecutor of Lomé to answer for their actions.
In view of the multiplication of acts of cyber fraud, the National Police invites the population to be vigilant on the Internet. It also urges the managers of private companies selling products to be more vigilant and to call on them to be more careful in the implementation of the access protocol to their computer system.
Rachel Doubidji