News Summary

• Police arrest seven suspected members of two fraud syndicates in Lagos.
• Suspects reportedly described themselves as “local 419’, a Nigerian slang for fraudsters who obtain money or property through deception.
• One of the suspects, 61-year-old Patrick Nwankwo, the journey into the fraud business began, by his account, with a failed business, the death of his wife and the struggle to survive afterwards.
• “I started as a ‘Caller’.
• A caller is a person who goes out to identify and speak with our prospective victims.
• After this, we lied to them that someone was in need of large supply of any particular commodity and for them to supply.
• We usually use bicycle spare parts as the needed commodity.
• Once they supplied those items to him, we will disappear from that address.
• Our base is in Ogun State but we target businessmen at popular market, including: Oshodi, Arena, Idumota, Alaba Trade Fair markets.
• We already have our target and what they sell.
• We don't pray for gullible people to finish.
• Gullible people cannot finish in Nigeria.
• They want to get very rich quick and we take advantage of that”