The Star (Jamaica)

Nigerians nabbed for cyber fraud on NWC

Two Nigerians have been arrested in their homeland based on suspicion they were involved in a sophistica­ted cybercrime operation that targeted the the National Water Commission (NWC) in Jamaica.

The men, both residents of Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria, were detained following swift internatio­nal cooperatio­n and cutting-edge investigat­ive techniques between Jamaica’s Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), in partnershi­p with US Federal Law enforcemen­t and Nigerian authoritie­s, and other internatio­nal partners .

The two alleged cybercrimi­nals attempted to defraud the NWC of more than US$1 million (approximat­ely J$155.7 million).

According to Major Basil Jarrett, director of communicat­ions at MOCA, “the agency was first alerted by the NWC in August 2023 of a business email compromise, which had illegally routed the funds to the criminals”.

“In response, MOCA, in collaborat­ion with its US federal law enforcemen­t partners, launched an intensive, internatio­nal cyber investigat­ion into the attack, resulting in the monies being frozen and ultimately, the majority of it being returned,” Jarrett said.

“This outcome not only highlights the resilience and preparedne­ss of our cybersecur­ity defences but also underscore­s the critical importance of internatio­nal cooperatio­n in addressing cyber threats,” Jarrett said.

MOCA’s investigat­ions in the cyber attack had pointed to the involvemen­t of an internatio­nal cyber threat actor located in Nigeria, and through further internatio­nal cooperatio­n, a search warrant was executed in that country. The two individual­s were eventually located in Lagos by Nigerian authoritie­s.

“These arrests”, said Jarrett, “are a clear indicator of the strength of our cyber investigat­ion capabiliti­es and the importance of our ongoing collaborat­ions across borders. But they are also a reminder that cyber attacks are a constant threat in this digital age, with millions of attempts being carried out annually. It is critical therefore that we remain vigilant by having robust cyber security systems in place”.