Photo: Omonkhoa Precious Afure
By Deborah Nnamdi
The Toronto Police Service, working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has recovered and returned $225,000 to a victim of a cryptocurrency investment scam.
The scam, carried out by a Nigerian national Omonkhoa Precious Afure, defrauded the victim of over $355,000 in 2021.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Toronto Police Service, highlighting the success of international cooperation in fighting cybercrime.
“As a result of the collaborative efforts between these units, in December 2024, Toronto Police was able to return $225,000 to the victim,” the statement read.
The fraud began in June 2021 when the victim communicated with a Facebook user known as “Moshe Theodor McNigh.” Afure gained the victim’s trust and persuaded them to invest in cryptocurrency through a platform called Legacyfxtraders. online.
This led to the victim losing an estimated $355,000 in Canadian funds. By late 2021, Nigerian authorities confirmed the fraudulent activities and launched an investigation.
Over three years, the Toronto Police Coordinated Cyber Centre, 51 Division Fraud Unit, and Financial Crimes Asset Forfeiture Unit worked with the Ontario Provincial Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The joint effort resulted in the seizure of assets in Nigeria. In December 2024, a Nigerian court declared the funds as the victim’s property and ordered their restitution.
The EFCC arrested and charged Omonkhoa Precious Afure in connection with the scam. This case highlights Nigeria’s progress in tackling financial crimes and bringing justice to victims worldwide.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported that romance fraud and cryptocurrency scams are rising.
In 2023, victims lost over $52.5 million to romance scams, while investment fraud accounted for over $309 million in losses.
The Toronto Police Service noted that only 5-10% of victims report fraud, suggesting that actual losses may be much higher.
