Cybercrime crackdown: CSA, police arrest high-interest Nigerian fraud suspect

An intelligence-led operation by Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service and supported by international partners including INTERPOL and the FBI, has resulted in the arrest of a Nigerian national suspected of involvement in a transnational cyber-enabled financial crime syndicate operating in the country.

The suspect, identified as Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, was apprehended following an investigation into fraudulent point-of-sale (POS) transactions at fuel stations in Accra. According to authorities, the scheme involved the use of compromised Citibank debit cards issued in the United States to conduct fictitious fuel purchases, with the suspect and accomplices allegedly receiving cash equivalents instead of fuel.

Investigations began on June 25 after a complaint from the manager of the Haatso Shell Filling Station, who reported suspicious transactions flagged by Ecobank Ghana PLC. Preliminary inquiries traced the disputed transactions to POS terminals at Haatso Shell and Osu Total filling stations, where two fuel pump attendants were initially suspected of facilitating the fraud.

During interrogation, the attendants allegedly informed investigators that the suspect and another accomplice had repeatedly visited the Haatso Shell station to conduct fraudulent POS transactions using Citibank debit cards via mobile devices. The suspect was later arrested at the station after attempting another transaction with one of the same debit cards.

A search incident to arrest yielded a Beretta pistol loaded with two rounds of 9mm ammunition, along with a Citibank VISA debit card bearing the number 5262 2611 2797 4764. Subsequent searches of the suspect’s residence at Oyarifa and the offices of AA Global Homes Construction Limited in Katamanso recovered additional evidence, including two mobile phones, 15 rounds of live 9mm ammunition, and an empty shell casing.

Authorities allege that the suspect had already been under surveillance by the CSA in connection with suspected cyber-enabled financial crimes prior to his arrest. The investigation benefited from intelligence sharing with INTERPOL and the FBI, which had previously flagged the suspect over alleged transnational financial crimes involving compromised U.S.-issued bank cards.

Upon arrest, the suspect reportedly admitted to using the recovered debit card to conduct transactions at both the Haatso Shell and Osu Total filling stations. He claimed that the card had been provided by an individual identified as Gail Oneara, residing in the United States, with an available balance of approximately US$10,000. Investigators state that he had withdrawn or utilized around US$8,000 before his apprehension.

Beyond the immediate fraud, investigators allege that proceeds from the suspected criminal activity were used to acquire significant assets, including a four-bedroom storey building, a cement block manufacturing factory at Katamanso near Amrahia, and a black Nissan ZNA pick-up vehicle. These assets are currently under scrutiny as potential proceeds of crime.

The arrest highlights the growing sophistication of cyber-enabled financial fraud targeting international banking systems and underscores the importance of intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency collaboration, and international cooperation in combating such threats. The case also serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities present in point-of-sale systems and the need for heightened vigilance among merchants and financial institutions.

As the suspect awaits trial, authorities continue to pursue leads aimed at identifying and arresting other members of the alleged network, tracing additional assets believed to have been acquired through illicit proceeds, and determining the full scale of the fraudulent transactions. Forensic examination of the electronic devices seized during the searches is expected to yield further evidence regarding the syndicate’s operations and any international links.

The CSA and Ghana Police Service have reiterated their commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s financial sector from transnational cybercrime, emphasizing that such operations require sustained vigilance, advanced technical capabilities, and seamless coordination between local and international law enforcement agencies.

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