Nigerian Credit Cards’ Criminals in Houston Busted…Falsely intercepts Capital One Credit company
*Raid carried out by Harris County Sherrif and United States Postal Inspectors
*Victims lose exceed $500,000 with dozens of identities stolen
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU
IT was end of the road for three Nigerian-born African Americans whose survival in United States had been on crime proceeds. Not only do they perfect their illicit exploitation on innocent American credit cards but live ostentatious lifestyles by claiming ownership of hoax companies to deceive the innocent members of the public.
The atrocities of Maxwell Ezenwa, Christy Tifase and Shalewa Olayinka came to abrupt end when the trio hideouts in West Houston was busted by Harris County Sheriff in a joint operation with United States Postal Inspection Service team for their involvement in fraud application of credit cards usage without victims’ consent, mailed to the same victims and then generate cash through fraud apps to the extent that victims’ accrued loses of over $500,000 coupled with various identities stolen.
Detectives from Harris County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. postal inspectors have charged these three suspects in a complicated and extensive credit card app fraud. It was observed that since two years ago, financial crimes investigators with the Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began a joint investigation of a group suspected of being involved in “fraud app” credit cards where credit cards were applied for without the victims’ consent, mailed to the victims, and stolen out of their mail boxes.
The detectives began undercover investigation with a report from Capital One Credit company to the HCSO detailing that the fraud app credit cards being processed was through multiple square merchants as well as several businesses. Two businesses were used to process the credit cards for large unusual amounts, and then able to generate cash from the fraud apps.
After a painstaking investigation, those businesses were identified as Lace Warehouse and African Fashions owned by Maxwell Ezenwa and Lagos Island Café, owned by Christy Tifase. For the records, Maxwell was arrested previously in this case for fraudulent use of identifying information, while he will now be charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.
Recently, undercover investigators arrested Shalewa on a warrant for engaging in organized criminal activity where investigators found numerous fraudulent credit cards in his wallet. Also, Tifase has an open warrant for engaging in organized criminal activity and is expected to surrender to authorities.
We are closely monitoring this story, as we update the people with latest on this matter that has brought opprobrium to Africa’s most populous nation.