Anticorruption czar, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has returned $26,000USD to a British national identified as Christine Brown who was duped by an internet fraudster in Nigeria.
EFCC in a statement on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, said Christine Brown was duped of her life savings by an internet fraudster (yahoo boy) she was romantically involved with.
The yahoo boy had pretended to be an American entertainer online and in the process made her part with her life savings.
The Benin Zonal Command of the commission on Monday, August 28, presented Ms. Brown with the sum of $26,000.
“Brown expressed gratitude to the Commission for its efforts which she said, has brought some succour to her after losing her life’s savings to the fraudsters,” the statement read.
“The 70-year-old had petitioned the Commission after being defrauded by an internet fraudster through a romance scam. Narrating her ordeal, Brown said she became a victim after she met a purported John Barrowman, an entertainer and citizen of America online.
“Unknown to her, he was a fraudster. Brown said they became romantically involved, and the fraudster began to demand money which she sent to him through wire transfers, Bitcoin, and gift cards,”
EFCC Zonal Commander, Kanu Idagu, while handing over the recovered fund, said the Commission will continue to discharge its mandate to the betterment of the society.
“We are doing a whole lot in ensuring that victims of fraud are restituted where possible, and we will continue to do more,” he said.
