On October 25, 2021, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned Abdulrahim Dangana before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court, Kaduna, on a single count charge of gaining by false pretense.
The defendant, according to the EFCC, is an internet fraudster who preys on gays online. It also stated that Abdulrahim used the aliases RYAN, DAVE, FRANK, and ERIC to register on Grindr, a gay/bisexual hook-up app, and the A4A website.
The one count charge reads: ” That you Abdulrahim Dangana “m” between January and September, 2021 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the total sum of $8,420.00 only from innocent victims when you falsely presented yourself as a white homosexual man on Grindr App (an online application) and in the assumed character blackmailed them that you will expose them to their families and loved ones which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.
The suspect pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
According to the anti-graft agency, Abdulrahim used fake profiles to create romantic relationships with gay people. After establishing what appears to be genuine relationships with his victims, he entices them to send him nude pictures, which he then uses to blackmail and extort them using gift cards and bitcoins, which he converts into naira using his bank accounts and e-wallets.
The prosecution’s lawyer, Nasiru Salele, sought the court to set a trial date after his plea, but the defense’s lawyer, Solomon Otuwaga, begged the court to release his client on bail.
The post “Alleged internet fraudster who blackmail homosexuals docked for $8,420USD scam in Kaduna" first appeared on Lindaikejiblog.