Facebook Fraud: Dropout Caught Using TETFUND Identity Scheme
A 26-year-old secondary school dropout, Emeka Marcel Nweke, has been arrested by police detectives from the Zone 7 Police Command Headquarters in Abuja for allegedly creating a fake Facebook account impersonating the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Architect Sonny Echono.
Nweke reportedly used this fraudulent account to solicit money from unsuspecting individuals, promising them employment opportunities and other benefits in exchange for payments.
The arrest followed multiple complaints from victims who had been deceived by the scheme.
During interrogation, Nweke confessed to the crime, revealing that he had been operating the fake account for several months and had defrauded numerous individuals.
He admitted to collecting various sums of money from his victims, which he used to sustain his lifestyle.
The police have charged Nweke with impersonation and obtaining money under false pretenses. He is expected to be arraigned in court following the completion of the investigation.
The authorities have also warned the public to be cautious of such fraudulent activities and to verify the authenticity of online solicitations before engaging in any financial transactions.
TETFUND has previously issued warnings about fraudulent schemes using its name to deceive the public. In a Facebook post, the organization cautioned against fake messages claiming that TETFUND is paying bursaries to students and directing individuals to fraudulent websites that ask for personal information.