A Nigerian woman, Jacob Lilian, has unveiled a shocking cybercrime operation orchestrated by her Chinese employer, who allegedly lured her into online fraud under the guise of a legitimate job offer.
Lilian, testifying as the first prosecution witness (PW1) before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, detailed how she unknowingly became part of a cyber fraud syndicate at Genting International Co. Limited, where she was recruited without proper documentation and coerced into scamming unsuspecting victims.
The accused, Ling Yang, also known as Shao Ming, is facing a four-count charge of cybercrime and advance fee fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The company, Genting International Co. Limited, is also under prosecution.
Yang was arrested on December 10, 2024, during a covert operation codenamed “Eagle Flush.” One of the charges against him reads:
“That you, LING YANG A.K.A. SHAO MING, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for your employer fraudulently impersonated one Amity by holding yourself out as such, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.”
Yang pleaded guilty to all charges, setting the stage for his trial.
Lilian’s testimony before Justice D.I. Dipeolu exposed the elaborate scheme that ensnared her. She recounted how she stumbled upon the job advertisement in a WhatsApp group named “Job Update.” The listing offered a customer service position at an office on No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos.
Upon arriving at the company, she was neither required to submit a CV nor provide credentials—only a typing speed test was conducted. She was later assigned accommodation on Lagos Island, which, unknown to her, would become a controlled environment where employees were closely monitored.
“I was later given a script to read, and I was told that was my job,” Lilian narrated. “The script had a name, Alani Thomas, and I was instructed to familiarize myself with customers assigned to me and chat with them.”
She disclosed that the fraudulent operation targeted European victims. Employees were required to impersonate fictional individuals, engage victims in conversations, and then hand over communications to the employer at a strategic point.
Despite receiving a monthly salary of N250,000, Lilian soon realized she was trapped in a high-security, tightly controlled system. Employees were assigned seat numbers and computers, while their daily movements were heavily restricted.
“We were always escorted by security officials from the office to the accommodation and were never allowed to leave the premises freely,” she revealed. “Before starting work each day, we had to submit our phones. The EFCC arrest was a saving grace for me.”
Following Lilian’s testimony, EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Hanatu U. KofarNaisa, requested an adjournment to present additional evidence, including company computers containing incriminating data.
Justice Dipeolu subsequently adjourned the case until April 11, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
As the case unfolds, Lilian’s testimony sheds light on the growing menace of cyber fraud and the deceptive tactics used to lure unsuspecting job seekers into criminal enterprises.
PIONEER NEWS 