Internet Fraud Casebook

Chapter 14. The Cool-Cash Syndicate

AUSTINE S.M. ADACHE

Yare Twiyzyila was a tall, lanky twenty-something who liked to sport an Afro hairdo and glasses because he thought it gave him an "old-school" look. He was the eldest of five children and the only boy, so he considered himself the head of the family. As a young man, he was eager to establish a name for himself and prove to his sisters that he deserved the authority he asserted over them — he just didn't want to work hard to earn it. He dropped out of high school because, by his own estimation, he was not cut out for words and numbers. He thought he was better suited for trading spare car parts in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, so he moved downtown and made connections with traders. Through his new friends, Yare heard about informal computer classes offered at the local college and enrolled in one to try it out. With constant practice, he advanced appreciably and became familiar with the technology. A few months later he took a job as an attendant in an Internet cafe. His easy access to computers and the Internet at work further expanded his cyberspace horizons.

While Yare was acquiring his computer skills he was also developing a group of criminal friends who convinced him to channel his new prowess into fraudulent activities. He had one particular friend named Qiddsa Dodagi — nicknamed "Mr. Cool Cash" by colleagues and friends — who did nothing tangible for a living except to be on the Internet every day, yet he had more ...