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Ramatu Kamara: Woman guilty of role in Nigerian fraud syndicate

The devilish details of a sophisticated Nigerian fraud syndicate, siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from legitimate businesses across the globe, has been exposed.

Ramatu Kamara has pleaded guilty to handling the proceeds of crime.
Ramatu Kamara has pleaded guilty to handling the proceeds of crime.

The devilish details of a sophisticated Nigerian fraud syndicate — siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from legitimate businesses to foreign bank accounts across the globe – has been exposed with a minor player admitting to her role.

The criminal operation would “compromise” a business email account, access legitimate invoices and alter them to redirect the payment to syndicate-controlled bank accounts.
A lower player would then withdraw the cash, which would be ultimately directed overseas.

A camera-shy Kamara has pleaded guilty to her role in a sophisticated fraud syndicate.
A camera-shy Kamara has pleaded guilty to her role in a sophisticated fraud syndicate.

Single mum-of-one Ramatu Kamara has pleaded guilty to withdrawing $75,000 across a three-day period, after $100,000 landed in two bank accounts in her name in March 2017.

The $75,000 has never been recovered.

The agreed facts tendered to the court revealed the Wiley Park woman told police following her arrest an accused syndicate member asked Kamara in 2016 if her bank accounts could be used to receive funds from Canada, to buy goods in Australia which would be sent to Nigeria.

On Tuesday, Campbelltown Local Court heard the 40-year-old had been “shaken to the core” since her arrest with her lawyer Mina Wassef saying she had been “targeted” to take part in the syndicate.

A sentence assessment report was ordered with Kamara to be sentenced by Magistrate George Breton next month.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/macarthur/inner-workings-of-nigerian-scam-syndicate-revealed-after-lowlevel-player-ramatu-kamara-admits-role/news-story/fa477de7c157e92228150438ae69be42