Cybercriminal Finally Jailed Because of Defrauding Students

Finextra.com reported on 1st May, 2014 stating that Tunji Isiaka Lawal, 34, has been sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment by Southwark Crown Court, London because of his involvement in a sophisticated phishing scam which targeted hundreds of students using their compromised data and stole more than 1.5 Pound Million.

Lawal of Manchester (UK), a Nigerian national was apprehended in December (2013) and he pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding, committing offences related to Computer Misuse Act and laundering money.

He was among many cybercriminals who targeted students by sending them phishing e-mails asking them to update details on their student loan account through a link of a fake website.

The scam accessed bank accounts of victims and withdrew large sum of money. It is believed that Lawal was controlling a botnet which is a network of virus-infected computers used to spread phishing e-mails to other victims.

Detectives of now-disbanded MPS Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) whose national remit has been assumed by the National Cyber Crime Unit, identified the scam after successful operation.

The detectives of the Unit worked closely with Students Loan Company, banking industry and Internet Service Providers.

V3.co.uk published a report on 1st May, 2014 quoting Investigating Officer DI Sanjiv Gohil of the MPS Cybercrime Unit as saying "the conviction highlighted the hard-line stance the force was taking with cyber frauds and warned users of web to be cautious of the threats posed by phishing e-mails. Anyone who does online banking must take utmost care to guarantee absolute security and safety and be totally sure about the authenticity of any e-mail purporting from your bank prior to clicking on any links. If you have doubt, don't click on links in e-mails and type the address of the bank on a fresh Internet window to visit your bank's website."

Detectives began investigating the role of Lawal after establishing his close association with Olajide Onikoyi, a 29 year old Nigerian national of Blackley in Manchester, who was convicted for his role in the fraud last year.

Five other individuals involved in the scam have already been sentenced and imprisoned between one to four years.

» SPAMfighter News - 5/13/2014