EFCC raises alarm over cyber-crime rate in South East

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is worried over the frightening dimension which cyber -crime has assumed in the country, especially in the South East.

The South East Zonal Head of the commission, Usman Imam expressed the worry on Friday in Enugu while briefing newsmen on the activities of the anti-graft agency in the first quarter of 2019.

Imam said that cases of cyber-crime, popularly called ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ has become alarming in the zone, saying that “from investigations so far made, it is unfortunate that some parents are not only aware of their children’s involvements, but even abet such terrible crime.

“What is very worrisome is that most of the perpetrators of this crime are either students of institutions of higher learning, graduates, youth corps members or secondary school students learning from their elders.

“To think that these criminals are those who will in future take up the responsibility of leading this country must certainly send shivers down the spine of any right thinking Nigerian.”

He said further that the commission has within the period under review seized some exotic cars from the suspected ‘Yahoo Yahoo boys’ being investigated and wondered how a student would own a car worth about N10 million, adding that the commission had been inundated with such matters.

Imam called on Nigerian youth to toe the path of honesty, adding that anybody convicted of cyber-crime would live with such stigma for the rest of their lives.

“I want to appeal to parents to take up their God-given responsibilities of monitoring their children or wards. In the South East, the case of internet or cyber-crime is very alarming,” he said.

He added that the commission is currently investigating cases involving several Ponzi schemes portrayed as cooperative or empowerment schemes as such schemes which promise up to 60 per cent return on investment within seven days were milking unsuspecting victims of millions of naira.

He said that such schemes dealt in cash with returns made in either cash or electrical appliances or even food items and warned the public especially those in Aba, Abia state to beware of any transaction with organizations such as “perfect ladies, unstoppable ladies, Christian ladies, unlimited ladies, raising lives and ever better association.”