Undergraduate Arraigned For $12,000 Internet Scam

EFCC yesterday arraigned an undergraduate of the University of Benin, Kenneth Rukewe Ebule before a High Court, sitting in Benin-City on a 6-count charge bordering on forgery, obtaining money by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents.

According to Saharareporters, the accused person allegedly duped Sabine Albert, a German, of the sum of $12,088.75 (Twelve Thousand Eighty Eight Dollars and Seventy Five Cents) through fraudulent claims. 

Rukewe, 30, a final year student of Computer and Statistics at the University of Benin, was arrested by officials of a new generation bank on May 28, 2014 in Benin City and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation.

Troubles started for him when Albert alleged that within two months after he had internet contact with him, Rukewe fraudulently obtained the sum of $12,088,75 (Twelve Thousand Eighty Eight Dollars and Seventy Five Cents) from him.  

Rukewe allegedly posed to Albert as an English businessman on transit in Nigeria. He gave his name as Bob Albert and told his victim that he had a contract with a Nigerian company worth €1.200, 000.00 and that he needed a loan to facilitate a transaction with the company. He promised to pay back the loan and even doubled it because he was sure of pulling through the transactions. He also told Albert that he had complications and suffered a robbery attack. 

Rukewe also falsely told Albert that, a levy of  of N1,975,861 (One Million, Nine Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty One Naira only) was imposed on him by the Federal Inland Revenue Service for the release of his International Passport, and a cheque  worth 1, 200,000 Euros. He also pleaded for a flight ticket to London.
Based on all these, Albert offered to loan him the money by sending it through Western Union, only to discover that he had been scammed. 

Investigation also revealed that the suspect had defrauded other German nationals to the tune of $110,975.00USD (One Hundred and Ten thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy Five United States Dollars) between May 2013 and January 2014.

When the charges were read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty.