?How they made over N400m each within four years

The police in Lagos over the weekend arrested three suspects alleged to specialise in forging international bank cheques by impersonating foreign celebrities.

The suspects; Innocent Odumosor, 27, Ajie Samuel Chukwudi, 31, and Godwin Divine, 19, were arrested at their residence in Lagos after detectives attached to Anti-Corruption Unit, Zone 2, Onikan, received intelligence reports about their criminal activities with other members of the syndicate based abroad.

The ring leader of the syndicate, Innocent Odumosor, lives in a four-bedroom flat at Ocean Based Estate, Ologoro, Ikate, while his second in command, Ajie Samuel aka Pappy, lives at Star Times Estate, Ago Palaace Way.

Both the ring leader of the syndicate and his second in command reportedly confessed to have made about N400m each since they started the fraudulent business in 2021.

It was learned that during interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and gave vivid details of their exploits, which involve impersonating notable foreign celebrities and defrauding Bank of America of millions of dollars.

According to their ringleader, Innocent Odumosor, a graduate of the University of Cross River State, ?We buy ?tools? from Xeet.com, which we use in committing the crime.

?The tools work as software and we buy from the site. It works with the software of different foreign banks. We clone cashier cheques and contact other members of the syndicate overseas to source for foreign accounts where they can log in the cheques.

?The victim unknowingly cashes the cheque and sends it to the account our syndicate will provide. The victims are randomly chosen and engaged in long chats before we strike. We normally load the account, and the victim will be chatting with any member of the syndicate resident abroad.?

Police investigation uncovered that after they received proceeds of their latest exploits on March 28, 2025, the ring leader acquired a Mercedes 223 GLE valued at N250m while his second in command also bought Mercedez GLE 221 worth N150m. Share of the third suspect is said to still be cooling off in his bank in Nigeria.

The ring leader said that he graduated in 2019 and started internet fraud in 2021.

According to him, ?I learned how to do it through online and websites like Xeet.PW and Monove.com. I specialize in loading of foreign bank accounts by buying loading tools from different websites such as Olux.TO, Monove.com, and Cheap.com at different prizes ranging from $10 to $100.

?I get different foreign bank accounts from other members of the syndicate and I load money into the account. The foreign banks are mostly in USA. We share proceeds of our loot 50/50. The latest transaction I had with Ajie was that of $350,000 cashier cheques from Bank of America and the beneficiary is Babara Franks. I got $150,000 as part of my share and it came to be N230m. I used part of it to buy Mercedes GLE worth N120m and used the remaining to take care of myself, my family, and my music career. I use my I-Phone 16 Promax and Labtop to do the deals. I pay N10m for my four-bedroom flat at Ocean Based Estate at Ikate.?

The second in command, Ajie Samuel aka Pappy, a native of Delta State and a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Cross River State University, said he got $50,000 from their deal, disclosing that he was a middle man during negotiations.

It was gathered that detectives are collaborating with the International Police (Interpol) with a view to rounding up other members of the criminal syndicate based abroad and that they have already confiscated international passports of the suspects. They are also said to be beaming their searchlight on all the banks connected with the activities of the suspects with a view to ascertaining if there is internal connivance.

When contacted, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Adegoke Fayoade, confirmed the arrest of the suspects, stating that investigations are still ongoing.