Naira Marley Involved In Credit Cards Fraud, Says EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, informed Justice Nichola Oweibo of a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, that, Visa card, an electronic payment card system, flagged one of the credit card details found on a device belonging to a Nigerian singer, Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, due to fraudulent transactions. 

This development was made known by an investigator with the anti-graft agency, Dein Whyte, while testifying before the court against Naira Marley, who is facing trial before the court on an 11-count charge of conspiracy and credit card fraud.

Led in evidence by counsel for the EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari, the witness added, “As part of the findings from the investigation, the forensic analysis revealed that malicious programmes that are being used to illegally obtain credit card information, which can be used for card non-present transactions, were found on the device that was recovered from the defendant upon his arrest.

“Also revealed were malicious tools used to disguise the active location of an internet user when his or her devices are connected to the internet.

“Furthermore, tools that are used to verify the validity, active state and accuracy of credit card credentials as well as the region of the issuer of that card were discovered on the defendant’s device.

“The analysis further revealed the website that had been accessed on the computer of the defendant through his browser history. The websites include sites where credit card information is illegally traded.”

Whyte, who insisted that the phone and the laptop recovered from the defendant were both registered with his credentials, his name, and e-mail address, added, “With respect to the card details recovered from the device of the defendant, investigations revealed that he also exchanged those details with other persons.”

The witness further hinted to the judge that one of the cards was reported to have been fraudulently used for a transaction by Visa, adding that the card details that were in possession of the defendant’s device neither belonged to him nor were issued by any financial institution to him.

However, under cross-examination by the defendant’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Whyte informed the court that a letter of investigation was written to Visa and that it confirmed that the card had been flagged for fraudulent transactions.

He, however, revealed that Visa didn’t link the credit card fraud to the defendant’s device “because the investigation was on the card and not on the device being used for the fraud.

“Visa is a payment platform and not a telecommunication company.

The continuation of the trial has been adjourned until March 6 and 7, 2024.

It would be recalled that the EFCC had on May 20, 2019, arraigned Naira Marley, who sang the popular song: “Am I a Yahoo Boy”, before the court, on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering and Internet fraud.

Naira Marley was further alleged to have committed the offence on different dates of November 26, 2018, and December 11, 2018, as well as May 10, 2019.

The commission alleged that Naira Marley and his accomplices conspired to use different Access Bank ATM cards to defraud their victims.

The EFCC also said that the defendant possessed and used counterfeit credit cards belonging to different people, with intent to defraud others.

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