Police nab Lagos vendor over N500m iPhone scam

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 35-year-old woman, Modupeola Bamisade, over allegations that she defrauded more than 100 people of over N500 million through an online gadget fraud scheme.

Sources within the command disclosed on Wednesday that the suspect allegedly posed as an online dealer in Apple products, including iPhones and iPads, which she advertised at heavily discounted prices to attract buyers.

According to police findings, Bamisade relied on social media influencers to promote the purported sales, promising customers discounts of up to 50 per cent.


Many of the victims reportedly made payments for the gadgets but never received the items.

A police source said the suspect consistently gave excuses to delay delivery and, in some cases, completely avoided fulfilling the orders.

“The suspect operates as an online vendor of Apple products. She uses influencers to advertise large-scale sales with huge discounts, sometimes up to 50 per cent,” the source said.

“She has allegedly carried out this scheme for some time and is believed to have defrauded over 100 victims of more than N500 million. During interrogation, she admitted using influencers to reach potential buyers.”

Another source familiar with the investigation said the suspect’s arrest followed a complaint lodged by one of the influencers who became alarmed after receiving repeated complaints from customers who claimed they had been defrauded.

“One of the influencers raised the alarm after buyers kept complaining. That led to a report to the police and her subsequent arrest,” the source revealed.

Following her arrest, several victims reportedly visited the police command to identify the suspect. One of them said she paid N1 million for a phone that was never delivered.

“She was told the phone had arrived and would be delivered shortly, but the suspect kept changing her story. At some point, someone even called her pretending to be a dispatch rider, yet no delivery was made,” the source added.