The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said its Benin Zonal Command has presented the sum of $26,000USD to Christine Brown, a British national and a victim of internet fraud.
In a Wednesday statement, the anti-graft agency said the presentation was done on Monday, August 28.
The statement quoted Brown as expressing gratitude to the EFCC for its efforts which she said has brought some succour to her after losing her life savings to the fraudsters.
“The 70-year-old had petitioned the commission after being defrauded by an internet fraudster through a romance scam.
“Narrating her ordeal, Brown said she became a victim after she met a purported John Barrowman, an entertainer and citizen of America online.
Read Also: Ecological funds: Reps shocked as govt agency spends N81.2bn to plant 21m trees
“Unknown to her, he was a fraudster. Brown said they became romantically involved, and the fraudster began to demand money which she sent to him through wire transfers, Bitcoin and gift cards,” the statement read in part.
The Zonal Commander, Kanu Idagu, while handing over the recovered fund, said the commission would continue to discharge its mandate to the betterment of the society.
“We are doing a whole lot in ensuring that victims of fraud are restituted where possible, and we will continue to do more,” he said.
Idagu admonished the public to be circumspect in whatever they do online as fraudsters prowl the internet seeking to defraud unsuspecting victims.