Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal Office have on Friday, August 30, 2019, arrested 19 staff of a fake investment company floating an alleged Ponzi Scheme that has been used to defraud Nigerians of N2 billion.
The company, Bluekey Investment Club, operating from Sonia Mall, 42, Woji Road, YKC Junction, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a Software Development and General Contracting Firm, but allegedly veered into an interest-yielding Ponzi Scheme with 10 per cent weekly returns on investment over six months.
The Scheme, also known as Wonder Bank, equally promised total returns of invested capital after six months.
Nineteen staff of the company were rounded up on Friday, August 30, 2019, in Port Harcourt.
Among them are five Principal Officers: Princess Tsaroigbara, public relations officer; Onwusa Frances Chineze, Accountant; Naabe Gunugu, payment confirmation staff; Tambari Success, Customer Service; and Anorue Maureen, Receptionist.
Neenwi Swanu, the chairman of the company, was at large as at the time of the arrest.
Tsaroigbara told interrogators that her company was into “Digital Financial and other Technological Services” and was not sure if the company was fully registered with the Security and Exchange Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Scores of defrauded customers thronged the premises of the Company seeking the intervention of the EFCC.
Items recovered from the company included computer units and N459,300.
The suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded, a statement by the spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Iwujaren, said in the early hours of Saturday, August 31, 2019.
