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When thinking about industries that cybercriminals might target, tertiary education probably isn’t the first to come to mind. But according to the latest edition of Microsoft’s Cyber Signals report, education was the third most targeted industry in the second quarter of this year. The mix of valuable data and inherent vulnerabilities in education systems has caught the eye of various attackers—from those using new malware techniques to nation-state actors involved in traditional espionage.
This is a particular concern for tertiary institutions in Africa, which is one of the most targeted regions in the world when it comes to cyberattacks. In fact, a recent study of 60 Kenyan universities showed that most of these institutions were experiencing hacks, while also battling a lack of adequate cybersecurity policies and controls, including organisational, human, physical, and technological resources.
Just last year a prominent Moroccan institution of higher learning was hit by a security breach of its master’s degree nomination platform, while a private university in Nigeria had its website completely overtaken by hackers.
It is clear that the education industry’s vulnerabilities haven’t gone unnoticed by cybercriminals. According to the Cyber Signals report, in the past year alone, more than 15,000 emails with malicious QR codes were sent daily to the sector using Microsoft Office 365 email. This highlights just how targeted and persistent these threats have become.
There are several reasons why hackers often target the education sector. Unlike typical enterprises, universities have a diverse group of users—students, faculty, administration staff, and others. The open and dynamic nature of university environments, with frequent activities and international students, makes them particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Unfortunately, email systems in schools offer wide spaces for compromise. This naturally open environment means universities are often more relaxed about email security. With a lot of emails creating noise in the system, institutions are limited on how they can place controls because they need to stay accessible for alumni, donors, and external collaborations. This mix of openness and lack of controls makes them prime targets for attacks.
Virtual and remote learning have also extended educational applications into homes and offices. Personal and shared devices, which are often unmanaged, are everywhere. Students, not always savvy about cybersecurity, might unknowingly expose their devices to risks.
To make matters worse, legacy infrastructure leaves school systems vulnerable. The tertiary education sector often faces well-known funding and operational challenges. This means that cutting-edge digital classrooms have to operate alongside older applications and other IT assets. Managing and safeguarding these varied systems is tough, especially when it is hard to keep cybersecurity experts on staff. This combination leaves school systems more vulnerable to attacks.
Nation-state actors are after valuable IP and high-level connections. Cybercriminals know that schools handle sensitive, regulated information and must stay open and accessible, making them targets for ransomware and extortion.
Indeed, universities are hubs for valuable intellectual property and cutting-edge research, often in collaboration with government agencies. This makes them attractive to attackers looking to steal or leverage sensitive data.
For example, it can be easier for hackers to initially target someone in the education sector with ties to the defense sector and then use that access to launch more convincing phishing attacks on higher-value targets.
Therefore, introducing a strong security curriculum has become crucial. Although strengthening security measures can be a daunting and expensive task for schools, there are steps they can take to protect themselves.
Having a clear understanding of the threat environment is an essential place to start. Reports like Cyber Signals are invaluable resources for chief information security officers and their teams as they refine technologies, policies, and processes. This quarterly cyber-threat intelligence brief, informed by the latest Microsoft threat data and research, provides expert insights into the current threat landscape and the tactics and techniques used by threat actors. It underscores Microsoft’s commitment to securing the digital ecosystem, in which we play a central role. At Microsoft, security is our top priority, ensuring we earn and maintain the trust placed in us.
Beyond current insights, maintaining strong cyber hygiene is crucial. Raising awareness of security risks and promoting good practices among students, faculty, staff, and administrators can help create a safer environment.
For IT and security pros in education, starting with the basics and beefing up security is a good move. Centralising the tech setup can assist in monitoring activities more effectively and spotting vulnerabilities more easily. Specifically, the Cyber Signals report recommends that IT teams think about using “protective domain name service,” a handy free tool that can help stop ransomware and other cyber attacks by blocking access to harmful websites. To prevent password spray attacks, they should enforce strong passwords and set up multifactor authentication.
For under-resourced IT teams, tools such as Microsoft Copilot for Security can significantly enhance the efficiency and capabilities of security defenders, allowing them to improve their security outcomes at machine speed and scale. This AI-powered security solution provides an assistive copilot experience, supporting professionals in end-to-end scenarios like incident response, threat hunting, intelligence gathering, and posture management.
It is also important for universities to teach students and staff about good security habits and encourage them to use multifactor authentication or passwordless options. According to the report, accounts are more than 99.9 percent less likely to get hacked with multifactor authentication.
By putting stronger defenses and proactive measures in place, universities can better equip themselves to fend off the increasing threats to their sensitive data and groundbreaking research. Building a solid security posture isn’t just about technology; it’s also about fostering a watchful culture ready to manage potential attacks. Investing in these measures now will safeguard their valuable assets and ensure their critical work continues without disruption.
Williams is the Country Director, Microsoft Nigeria.
The Lagos State Government, through its Safety Commission, has organized a one-day seminar for schools across the state under the theme, “Building a Strong Cyber Safety Awareness.”
The initiative aims to enhance students’ understanding of online risks and empower them to navigate the digital world safely.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of the Lagos Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, highlighted the dual nature of the internet.
He noted that while the digital world offers vast opportunities for learning and growth, it also presents serious risks, especially for young people.
“Youth are particularly vulnerable to dangers lurking online. Cyberbullying, phishing scams, identity theft, exposure to inappropriate content, and online predators are just some of the threats students face in cyberspace. Unfortunately, many of them are unaware of these dangers, making them easy targets,” Mojola said.
He further emphasized the importance of the seminar, which was organized in partnership with the Safe Schools Alliance, stating, “Today’s event symbolizes the proactive steps we must take to ensure the safety of our students, both physically and digitally. By building a strong foundation of cyber security awareness, we are better equipped to protect our children.”
Mojola reiterated the Lagos State Government’s commitment to combating cyber threats, stating that the decision to start with schools is key to ensuring children are protected from an early age.
“By teaching them to distinguish between right and wrong information and guiding them away from harmful or unproductive websites, we can prevent potential cyber threats before they happen,” he said.
Adding to the discussion, Mr. Sesan Ogundeko, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, emphasized that children need to understand both the benefits and risks of accessing the internet.
He stressed the importance of educational initiatives like this seminar in shaping students’ awareness of what content is good or harmful.
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Dr. Bisi Esuruoso, Lead Resources at Safe Schools Lagos, described the seminar as a timely intervention.
“This initiative is critical for preparing schools across Lagos to address cyber threats head-on, creating a safer digital environment for everyone involved,” Esuruoso remarked.
Students at the seminar expressed their appreciation for the lessons learnt. They highlighted the rise of false narratives and cyberbullying on social media, noting that the tools and knowledge gained from the seminar will help them defend themselves against cyberbullies and other online dangers.
ALLIANZ Commercial has warned in its annual cyber risk outlook that cyber claims have continued their upwards trend over the past year, driven in large part by a rise in data and privacy breach incidents.
In a release, Allianz Commercial stated that the frequency of large cyber claims (>€1m) in the first six months of 2024 was up 14 percent while severity increased by 17 percent, according to the insurer’s claims analysis, following just a 1 percent increase in severity in 2023.
Data and privacy breach-related elements are present in two-thirds of these large losses. Overall, the total number of cyber claims in 2024 is expected to stabilize, following a 30 percent increase in frequency during 2023, which resulted in 700+ claims.
Global Head of Cyber Claims, Allianz Commercial, Michael Daum, explained that “The growing significance of data breach losses among cyber insurance claims is driven by a number of notable trends.
“A rise in ransomware attacks including data exfiltration is a consequence of changing attacker tactics and the growing interdependencies between organisations sharing ever more volumes of personal records. At the same time, the evolving regulatory and legal environment has brought an uptick in so-called ‘non-attack’ data privacy-related class action litigation, resulting from incidents such as wrongful collection and processing of personal data – the share of these claims has tripled in value in two years alone.”
The firm pointed out that the rise in ‘non-attack’ data privacy claims is the consequence of developments in technology, the growing commercial value of personal data, and a developing regulatory and legal landscape.
For example, unlike the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), privacy regulations in the US are less prescriptive and open to interpretation, while plaintiff lawyers are hungry for potential sources of revenue, noting that this is creating a grey area that is ripe for class action litigation, the report notes.
“We are seeing more data privacy breach claims in the US where there is a growing trend for class action litigation against large US and international corporations related to privacy violations, such as around consent and data usage. The cost of some of these claims can be even larger than a ransomware incident, in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” Daum said.
Over the last year in particular, data breaches have emerged as one of the fastest growing areas of US class action litigation. Over 1,300 were filed across a wide range of data privacy regulations in 2023, more than double the number filed in 2022 and four times that filed in 2021, according to law firm Duane Morris.
Multiple class action lawsuits have been launched against organizations across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, social media, and gaming, for using tracking tools such as Meta Pixel to monitor consumer behavior, while entertainment streaming platforms have also been targeted, alleging that they may have violated privacy protection rights. Large data breach events can also evolve into hyper litigation, with one event triggering a slew of class actions.
More than 240 lawsuits related to the 2023 MOVEit data breach were consolidated into a single Multidistrict Litigation in October 2023, and with large numbers of claimants, there are incentives for parties on both sides to settle.
The top 10 data breach class action settlements last year totaled $516 million, a significant increase over the $350 million recorded in 2022.
The risk of data breach litigation is also growing in Europe.
Heightened awareness of data protection rights, a rise in the availability of third-party litigation funding, and a more consumer-friendly litigation environment could make mass data privacy claims a reality, albeit not on the same scale as the US, the report notes.
The fact that almost every industry is now using AI will have a significant impact on the cyber and privacy risk landscape in future.
AI relies on the collection and processing of vast amounts of data, including personal, health and biometric information, for training AI models and making predictions or recommendations.
However, AI tools such as chatbots can create potential privacy, misinformation, and security risks if not properly managed and with so much data being collected and processed, there is a risk that it could fall into the wrong hands, either through hacking or other security breaches.
There are also concerns around potential breaches of privacy laws, such as whether organisations have proper consent to process data through AI.
Despite a general trend for increased investment in cyber security in recent years, many data breaches, including some of the largest mass data exfiltration cyber-attacks over the past 18 months, are the result of weak cyber security within organisations and/or their supply chains.
Such incidents can lead to a large claim involving regulatory fines, notification costs and third-party litigation, in addition to extortion demands, first-party costs and business interruption.
Vanessa Maxwell, Global Head of Cyber and Financial Lines, Allianz Commercial said, “The insurance industry must also step up its focus on the data privacy side of cyber risk and has a key role to play in offering loss prevention and mitigation advice to businesses about this increasingly important area of exposure.
“The value of cyber insurance goes well beyond the payment of claims. Insurance helps companies make the business case for cyber security investment and to direct their resources towards the most effective measures.”
Data breach risks are best mitigated through good cyber hygiene, including strong access controls, database segregation, backups, patching and training.
Having better oversight of any cyber weaknesses in their supply chains is an area where many companies need to improve.
Global Head of Cyber Risk Consulting, Allianz Commercial, Rishi Baviskar, said, “Early detection and response capabilities are also key. Around two-thirds of breaches are typically reported by a third party or by the attackers themselves.
“Cyber breaches that are not detected and contained early can end up being 1,000 times more expensive than those that are, the difference between a €20,000 loss turning into a €20 million one.
“AI is also becoming an essential tool in the fight against cyber-attacks, as it can quickly identify a security breach and automatically isolate systems and databases, as well as having the potential to significantly reduce the cost and life cycle of a data breach claim by automating tasks, such as forensics and notifications, potentially saving companies millions of dollars.”
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UTHMAN SALAMI explores how scammers now use the cyberspace as a safe haven, preying on gullible and honest business owners, prospective students, and anybody else who sees it as a practical place, to carry out their operations
Racked with self-blame and the realisation that his lack of due diligence had cost him a staggering N18m in an international scam, Obumneme Maximus, a Lagos-based businessman, kept wondering how many other Nigerians had fallen for the same hoax while hoping that other entrepreneurs would avoid the trap he had fallen into.
Maximus told our correspondent, in a tone tinged with sorrow and self-loathing, about the first time he had let his guard down since launching his private business. When he lost more than $12,740 to an online business named Old Merchants, a phoney auto dealership that purported to be based at 18805 Bayshore Road Villas, New Jersey, USA, he was shocked and shocked.
According to The Guardian Unite Kingdom, amid fights for resources against other criminal objectives, like protecting children and bolstering what is often viewed as inadequate protection of women; international fraud and cybercrime are seen as difficult crimes for law enforcement to solve.
Over 1,000 Nigerians have been duped by schemes offering fictitious international work prospects in the United Kingdom, according to a December 18, 2023, according to a report by The PUNCH that cited the United Nations Migration Agency, the International Organisation for Migration.
The IOM’s Chief of Mission, Laurent De Boeck, made the startling revelation during a press interaction with journalists in Abuja in December 2023.
Boeck emphasised that some victims were left stuck in the UK after losing up to $10,000 apiece in their desperate attempts to land work abroad. Some are too embarrassed to face their families, while others do not have the funds to return home.
He said, “There are some of them who lost over $10,000 only to be given fake employment letters, which allowed them to get visas. They get there, present the letters, and the organisations tell them that the letters did not emanate from the organisations. Over a thousand people are affected.”
These were just a few of the devastating and harrowing experiences Nigerians have faced due to fraud and scams conducted in the international space. Unfortunately, more Nigerians continue to fall victim to organized crime abroad, as these criminals target innocent individuals seeking to conduct business online.
Lagos businessman loses $12,740
In Maximus’s case, he was drawn into the transaction by the lower prices of the vehicles listed on the company’s website, which were far more competitive than any he could find elsewhere. Their business discussions began in October 2023, with Maximus initiating contact after seeing the cars advertised on their site.
He said, “They are selling cars to Ghana and Nigeria online. They have a website they use to defraud people. If you check, the website is very genuine. You won’t even suspect a dime. I saw some cars that I like on their website.
“There are about four vehicles. Their prices are also low. I paid for the vehicles, and they gave me a shipping date. The shipping date arrived after making all the necessary payments. I didn’t know they were professional scammers.
“They are always online. I paid $12,740 for the four cars, including the shipping fee. My transaction with them started in October 2023 and ended in February 2024. Once they give you the shipping date, that will be the end of the business.
“I told my brother in the United States to check on the address on the website, but we discovered that the place is an empty location. The mistake I made was not carrying my brother along. We would have checked on the location to verify their identities.”
In a petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police and International Police, dated March 21, 2024, the victim’s lawyer, Penlit & Greyson, called for an investigation into the scam, urging the authorities to recover the $12,740 he had paid into the company’s account.
The petition read, “We are solicitors to Maximus (hereinafter referred to as our client) and on whose engagement and instruction we write you. Our client informed us that he bought four vehicles from OLD MERCHANTS and fully paid for them, as we are going to attach the invoice detailing the various vehicles and amounts paid respectively for each.
“We were also informed that upon completion of payment, Old Merchants communicated to him that the next available shipment date for GRIMALDI shipping upon completion of US customs clearance is on the 1st day of March 2024 with the vessel Grande Luanda.
“It is also part of our brief that upon the departure of Grande Luanda on 1/03/2024 from Providence Port, Old Merchants has declined to send the Bill of Lading for the shipment and has not established any communication with him on this, despite repeated emails and phone calls being placed to them. The Grande Luanda vessel is now in Dakar Senegal en route to Lagos, and till now no bill of lading has been sent from Old Merchants.
“We were also informed that the contact made with Bridge Water Police Department New Jersey, the division covering where Old Merchants is located, was to reach out to your good office to contact them directly to enable them to immediately commence a thorough investigation on Old Merchants.”
Meanwhile, findings by this correspondent, who visited the Old Merchants website, revealed several cars listed for sale, each with price tags dangling beneath them.
In a conversation with one of the firm’s representatives via the WhatsApp number provided on the company’s website, the individual instructed our correspondent to follow a specific set of guidelines and indicate their payment preferences. They also mentioned that this correspondent would need to specify a payment schedule.
The instructions partly read, “Please note the following important information: Payment Method – We accept payments via bank transfer. To proceed, we will issue an invoice. Invoice Validity: The invoice will be valid for 3 days. If you require additional time to make the payment, you have the option to make a 10 per cent deposit and settle the remaining amount within 10 days.
“Reservation Policy: Please be aware that no cars are reserved until the deposit or full payment is received. Estimated Shipping Schedules (if paid this week): Port of Providence, RI-Tin Can, Lagos, Nigeria: Customs clearance (two-three weeks); approximate release date: May 20; closest departure: Grande Tema GTE0424 on May 30th; estimated arrival in Tin Can, Lagos: June 14, 2024; please provide us with your payment schedule preferences and your details for the invoice (name, shipping address, email, phone) and we will issue an invoice.”
When this correspondent sought more information about the company’s activities, the firm replied, “Please provide us with your payment schedule preferences and your details for the invoice (name, shipping address, email, and phone number), and we will issue an invoice.
“We are a registered American business; we use only reliable bank transactions, no shady payment options, and we provide you with all the necessary documents, such as an invoice, payment receipt, and bill of lading (which will allow you to track your purchase). Shipments are insured.”
When inquired about the status of Maximus’s ordered vehicles and their failure to deliver as promised before the payment, the company blocked this correspondent on WhatsApp and subsequently deleted all the conversations.
Maximus’s story is just one of many distressing experiences that Nigerians have faced with international fraud.
Student loses N3.6m
Even more shocking is the troubling experience of Confidence Chujor, a young Nigerian who hoped to travel to Canada to complete her studies after finishing her first degree. Her long-held plans were thwarted by a scam perpetrated by a fellow Canada-Nigerian man.
Chujor, who had secured admission to a university in Canada, needed to exchange Canadian dollars during a severe foreign exchange crisis in the country. In her urgent bid to meet the deadline, a friend referred her to a Canadian-based Nigerian named Ajibola.
He assured Chujor that the money would be transferred within five working days, but those five days stretched into three months with no proof of payment.
After much back and forth, both parties agreed that Ajibola would assist Chujor in exchanging N3.6 million, which was paid into his account.
Ajibola was said to have collected the money from Chujor under the pretence of paying her tuition fees directly to a Canadian school.
While expressing her sorrow to this correspondent, Chujor revealed that despite her efforts to involve Ajibola’s Nigerian family in securing a refund, the suspect’s failure to pay her school fees as agreed went unaddressed. This has led to ongoing delays in her admission and travel plans.
“I initiated Form A in February 2024 to enable me to pay my fees. When I saw that there was no headway with that, I decided to defer my admission. Then a friend of mine known as Victor advised that instead of sending the fee to a random person in Canada, I should send it to his close friend, who is almost like his brother in Canada.
“On July 6, 2023, I transferred N3.6m to Ajibola, and he confirmed the payment the same day.
“When the transfer was done to him, the dollar rate was N552. He told us he would convert the money to dollars at the rate of N452, that his wife’s brother works in a Canadian bank, and that he would do it for him at the rate of N452.
“I became super excited. From that day till now, he has been turning me around despite my sending him all the necessary details to enable him to pay seamlessly.
“It got to a point where he said the fees had been paid. I was so excited. But then I requested a screenshot of the transaction. He kept saying he would send it. But he never did till date.”
All her attempts to seek support from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to have Ajibola arrested and obtain a refund, including multiple messages and calls to the Director General, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, were unsuccessful.
When this correspondent contacted Ajibola’s mobile phone number, he did not respond, even though the message was marked as delivered and read four days later.
When our correspondent followed up on the refund on September 13, 2024, over a year and two months later, Chujor lamented that Ajibola had still not returned her money after seven months.
“To date, I haven’t gotten back my money,” she simply stated.
U.S-based Nigerian laments
While Chujor’s lament was centred on her thwarted desire to study abroad, Mike, a Nigerian based in the U.S., was allegedly extorted and threatened by another Nigerian living in the country.
A Nigerian man named Ariyibi, who had established an online dating platform primarily targeting individuals living abroad, faced accusations of collecting money from them without providing any matches.
Although Ariyibi denied any accusation of foul play from Mike or any other person during a telephone conversation and WhatsApp chat with this correspondent, Mike described him as “an extortionist.”
Mike recounted, “This guy will extort money from you based on my experience with him. I had to remove myself from his platform. I paid N100,000 as a membership fee. I was in the group for a while. After joining, he would message me that he needed money to finish certain projects. After collecting money from you, he talks like a lout.
“He asked me for another again, but when I refused, he started cursing me. He would send audio notes and text messages cursing and talking like a tout just in a shameful and distasteful manner because I refused to give him more money because he wanted to match me with a girl to date.
“He locks up the platform so that people will not be able to communicate. He sends pictures of ladies to the platform. When you pick one, he will tell you that they are not available or that they don’t like you. This is his tactic of extorting people abroad and at home.
“He told me to go and die and that nothing would happen to him. He told me my money was gone and that nothing would happen. He sent me his pictures and names, telling me I should report him anywhere. He is an extortionist.”
Despite blocking him on all platforms, Mike lamented that Ariyibi used a private number to send one final message, which included curses and harassment. A screenshot of this message was provided to this correspondent.
The message partly read, “This will be my last message to you; you might not know, but you act like you are under a spell. You might need to let your people know about things to find a solution. You can’t continue like this.”
After insulting and threatening this correspondent with a lawsuit, Ariyibi denied any wrongdoing, asserting that he had made an effort to match Mike with a suitable partner but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Ariyibi then provided screenshots of conversations with several other women, which he claimed showed successful matches with male partners, most of whom were believed to be overseas. However, he pointed out that Mike’s case was an exception.
He said, “Make I find more ladies in America always turning me down, boss… Bro, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do Mike’s work, he will get you in trouble. Bro, take your time and listen to everything. Then do your job ruggedly. I have nothing to fear about at all. Nothing dey shake me. But help me tell Mike this. E no go better for am for trying to spoil my platform with the spell on his head.
“I’ve cleared up everything you need to know from my side. Now let the work begin. As for Mike, I do not owe him any apology, as any time I set my eyes on him, ‘I go deck am blow.’ You sha see screenshots as ladies dey always turn me down because of him.”
Nigerian entrepreneurs lose $19,350
As Mike came to terms with what he described as extortion and harassment by a fellow Nigerian, young Nigerian 2D graphics animator and cartoon designer Adeleke Samuel turned to the microblogging site X.com, under the handle @SegszDaEngine, to seek GoFundMe support.
He and others had fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme that resulted in the loss of their seed capital.
Samuel, along with Ajibola Fuwad Disu and Oluwaseun Oluwapelumi John, co-founded Astrotwig and sought investors to complete their business projects. They were approached by Simon Tiwari, who offered them a $1 million loan to be repaid over five years.
He wrote, “On February 10, 2024, I found myself ensnared in a deceitful scheme orchestrated by an individual posing as an angel investor, Mr. Simon Tiwari. He purportedly offered us a loan of $1 million, to be repaid over five years.
“The sequence of events leading to this unfortunate incident began with our company’s participation in MIDEM, the prestigious global music conference in France. Despite our endeavours to secure funding and partnerships, our efforts were unsuccessful.
“Following the event, I took to Twitter (now X.com) to appeal for financial support, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000, for our pre-seed stage. It was during this outreach that a contact named Max (+234 814 800 8601) provided a lead, urging me to explore potential funding opportunities.
“Subsequently, I made contact with Mr Simon Tiwari (+44 7537 135782), who claimed to have also attended MIDEM. After submitting the requisite due diligence documents, Mr Tiwari expressed interest in providing the loan, albeit for a larger sum than initially sought.
“Several days later, Mr Tiwari confirmed their willingness to proceed with the loan after reviewing our documents. Excited by the prospect of funding, I shared the news with our software developers, anticipating imminent financial support.”
However, the would-be scammer instructed them that the transaction had to be conducted via blockchain, specifically using Bitcoin, and expressed concerns about traditional payment methods.
Having agreed to Tiwari’s demands, the company members requested $20,000 in Bitcoin as equity before they could access the $1 million loan as arranged.
“In a concerted effort to meet this requirement, my co-founder Fuwad Ajibola Disu mobilized support from his network, securing the necessary funds for collateral. The funds were transferred to a newly created blockchain wallet to provide proof to Mr Tiwari.
“Upon Mr Tiwari’s insistence, the funds were moved to a Mycelium wallet, purportedly the preferred platform for investments. Subsequently, a test transaction of $19 in BTC was initiated as per Mr. Tiwari’s instructions. He sent a QR code to scan for the address.
“Regrettably, the transaction incurred an unexpected deduction of $19,350 instead of the intended amount, signalling the deception behind the transaction and resulting in a substantial loss for Astrotwig.”
NiDCOM, EFCC keep mum
In a bid to find out if the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has any mechanisms to assist Nigerians, especially students, who are scammed by other Nigerians or foreigners abroad, our correspondent contacted the Commission’s Director of Media, Public Relations, and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.
However, Balogun directed our correspondent to consult with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission regarding the issue.
“It’s an assignment for the EFCC, not ours,” Balogun simply stated in response to this correspondent inquiry on September 13, 2024.
Similarly, when this correspondent contacted the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, on the same date, the message was marked as read but went unanswered.
As more innocent Nigerians lose millions of naira to foreign cyber fraud schemes and others see their aspirations dashed online, keen observers hope that victims will receive compensation so they can rebuild their lives.
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