Scammers Who Defrauded French Woman of GH¢12M Traced to Nigeria

Scammers Who Defrauded French Woman of GH¢12M Traced to Nigeria

  • The French woman who fell victim to a romance scam has been told the perpetrators are in Nigeria
  • The Nigerian authorities have been contacted on the issue and expressed readiness to take up the matter
  • Social media users who took to the comment section of the video have shared varied opinions on the disclosure made

Scammers who recently gained notoriety after defrauding a French woman named Anne have been found to be operating in Nigeria.

This comes after the 53-year-old woman was tricked into sending £697,000, equivalent to GH¢12 million, thinking she was dating Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

Scam, Nigeria, Tricked, Relationship, France, Fraudsters
A French woman identifies the scammers behind the Brad Pitt romance scam in Nigeria. Photo credit: Télé Revue/Facebook. @bradpittofficial/Instagram
Source: UGC

The scammers tricked Anne with AI-generated images of the actor into believing she was dating Brad Pitt.

She was then informed that her lover was seriously sick and, hence, needed money for treatment.

How the scammers were found out

A report on Legit.ng said the French woman engaged the services of Marwan Ouarab, founder of the site Find My Scammer, to help track down the persons who scammed her of her savings.

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In this vein, Ouarab got access to one of the scammer’s phones by sending a 'booby-trapped link' disguised in a message.

Through this means, the investigative team uncovered that the scammers were in, as the address confirmed it.

It disclosed that the people behind this act were three or four young people.

“It's a small group of three or four fairly young people who are causing damage. On the fake Brad Pitt's device alone, we counted 34 victims.”

Nigerian authorities contacted

When contacted on the matter, the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) expressed readiness to investigate the issue but stressed the need for a petition to be submitted.

The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, told AFP: "It is a petition that authorises the EFCC to act."

Brad Pitt’s team reacts to scam

An agent representing Brad Pitt's team expressed his discontent on the matter, calling out scammers for taking advantage of unsuspecting fans.

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"It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities, but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors with no social media presence", he told Entertainment Weekly.

Peeps react to the scammers tracked to Nigeria

Netizens who took to social media prayed that the culprits would be arrested and dealt with.

@AfrokonnectNG

"The actions of a few scammers should not define an entire nation. While the Brad Pitt scam is unfortunate, cybercrime is a global issue, not unique to Nigeria. Millions of Nigerians are honest, hardworking individuals excelling in various fields worldwide. The Nigerian government, through agencies like the EFCC, is actively combating cybercrime."

@DanielRegha indicated:

"Nigerians who commit fraud & bring negative press to Nigeria really upsets me to the core, it further fuels the narrative that Nigerians are sc@mmers in nature which is nothing but a lie. The actions of a few misguided persons are causing everyone harm. The most annoying part of."

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@Ephoms_Dave indicated:

"I hope these scammers get caught and prosecuted the way they deserve. Scammers."

@yalawoman wrote:

"Most of these stuffs are not done by Nigerians but by people from outside living in Nigeria. Anyways,they should trace and catch them."

Two arrested for defrauding an American

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that two men were apprehended as lead suspects for allegedly defrauding an American man over a million dollars.

This comes after the duo reached out to the American and promised to supply him with seven containers of dollars.

The two men were, however, granted bail after pleading not guilty to the charges levelled against them.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Philip Boateng Kessie avatar

Philip Boateng Kessie (Human-Interest editor) Philip Boateng Kessie started writing for YEN.com.gh in 2022 and is the Head of the Human Interest desk. He has over six years of experience in journalism and graduated from the University of Cape Coast in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies. Philip previously served as a reporter for Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and as a content writer for Scooper News. He has a certificate in Google News Initiative News Lab courses in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: philip.kessie@yen.com.gh.