Crime & Safety

Police Crack Suspected Nigerian Credit Card Fraud Ring

Four may have used stolen credit information to get $2 million in Target gift cards.

A $2-million Nigerian credit card fraud ring was broken with a raid on a Canoga Park residence, Simi Valley Police announced Wednesday.

Four suspects, all of Nigerian origin, were arrested after a six-week investigation that culminated in searches at Canoga Park and Los Angeles locations, they said.

Last Thursday, detectives raided residences in 7300 block of Variel Avenue in Canoga Park and the 7100 block of Ramsgate Avenue in Los Angeles. They recovered new children's clothing, 15 iPads, and more than $100,000 cash, they said.

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The suspects allegedly had credit information stolen in the United States and Mexico that was used to fraudulently obtain credit cards, according to police.

The credit cards were used to buy several thousand dollars in Target gift cards at a Target store in Simi Valley, according to police. Similar purchases were made in Ventura, San Diego, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, police said.

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Four suspects were booked at the federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles. They were Mariam A. Salau, 47; Labake Adejoke Onifade, 42, Ajala Olasode Ajao, 42; and Eno Monday Ekong, 37, all listing Los Angeles as their  residence.

A fifth person, Olayanju Musliudeen Yusseff, 40, was detained by the Immigration Service, police said.

Read more in the Ventura Star, the Daily News and at abclocal.go.com.

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