EFCC RECOVERS OVER ₦650 MILLION FROM AIRLINE DISCOUNT SCAM
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered a major airline discount scheme scam that defrauded over 700 Nigerians of more than ₦650 million. The EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, disclosed this in Abuja, explaining that fraudsters used fake airline discount offers to lure unsuspecting victims who later reported the case to the commission.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate successfully scammed victims of about ₦651 million, while the EFCC has so far recovered over ₦33 million, which has been returned to affected persons. The commission also uncovered another large-scale fraud involving a fake investment scheme linked to a company and some digital banking platforms, where over 200,000 people were deceived through the misuse of their BVN details.
Describing the growing trend of scams as a national threat, the EFCC warned Nigerians to be cautious of unsolicited messages, suspicious investment offers, and fake job opportunities. The commission also urged financial regulators to enforce strict compliance with KYC and other due diligence measures to curb financial crimes.