Four Kenyans are among criminals wanted by Nigerian authorities for hacking a popular cryptocurrency and forex trading platform known as Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is looking for eight people including four Kenyans who are suspected of involvement in an incident in which users lost money on CBEX.
The platform had attracted many Africans with the promise of Al-powered returns, lucrative referral bonuses, and easy withdrawals.
CBEX promoters claimed the platform would offer returns of up to 30 percent in just 30 days.
“The public is hereby notified that the persons… are suspected foreign accomplices wanted by the EFCC for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX),” said the watchdog in a public notice.
The four Kenyans under the watchdog’s radar are John Okiroh Otieno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro Kabera, and Serah Michiro, all of whom have been living in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Nigerians are Seyi Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanisola, and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun.
Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) found that CBEX “engaged in promotional activities to create a false perception of legitimacy, in order to entice unsuspecting members of the public into investing monies, with the promise of implausibly high guaranteed returns within a short timeframe.”
Nigerian authorities have not disclosed how much money was lost while Kenya is yet to commence any investigations into the platform or make any public comments regarding the loss of funds.
EFCC adds that it has engaged Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to bring to book the suspected promoters of the scheme and bring them to justice.
