Two Nigerians, Gbemisola Akinrinade and Adebowale Adiatu, have been arrested by the Canadian police for lining their pockets with proceeds from selling fake airline tickets which summed up to over half a million dollars.
According to Canada Today, the suspects fraudulently sold more than 250 airline tickets at a value of more than $500,000 in the racket scheme. The majority of the customers who purchased the tickets were from the Calgary area and the flights were primarily to Africa, a press release by the Peel Regional Police on January 26, 2023, stated.
The suspects are facing charges which include fraud, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, possession of property obtained by crime, obtaining by false pretences, and unlawful use of a computer. According to the police authorities, in many fraud-related cases, people in vulnerable situations are coerced, manipulated and taken advantage of for the profit of the fraudster.
However, they urged individuals to properly source the website they are dealing with and verify its legitimacy. If convicted, Adiatu and Akinrinde could both face 2-14 years in prison according to the Canadian Criminal Code.
