An investigator and also the 10th prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Dein Whyte have disclosed how they found the tools used to validate credit card credentials in the devices of Nigerian singer, Azeez Fashola, (a.k.a Naira Marley).
During the trial at the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, Whyte narrated to a Justice Nicholas Oweibo how a card payment platform, Visa flagged one of the credit card details found on a device belonging to the singer due to fraudulent transactions.
He said:
“Tools that are used to verify the validity, active state and accuracy of credit card credentials as well as the region of the issuer of that card were discovered on the defendant’s device.
“The analysis further revealed the website that had been accessed on the computer of the defendant through his browser history. The websites include sites where credit card information is illegally traded.”
Naira Marley is standing trial on an 11-count charge of conspiracy, possession of counterfeit credit cards and fraud brought against him by the anti-graft agency.
One of the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, who led the evidence said, forensic analysis during findings from the investigation revealed that malicious programmes are being used to illegally obtain credit card information.
He said they
“can be used for card not-present transactions, and were found on the device that was recovered from the defendant upon his arrest.”
”Also revealed were malicious tools used to disguise the active location of an internet user when his or her devices are connected to the internet.”
Whyte further explained to the court that Naira Marley’s credentials were registered on the phone and the laptop recovered from him.
Whyte responded that the card details recovered from the singer’s device, revealed he exchanged details with other persons when asked by the prosecution counsel to state the result of his findings on the credit card details.
He further stated that one of the cards was reported to have been fraudulently used for a transaction by Visa, adding that the card details that were in possession of the defendant’s device neither belonged to him nor were issued to him by any financial institution.
Whyte said that a letter of investigation has been written to Visa and that it confirmed that the card recovered from the singer was flagged for fraudulent transactions.
He, however noted that Visa didn’t link the credit card fraud to the defendant’s device “because the investigation was on the card and not on the device being used for the fraud.”
He also stressed that Visa is a payment platform and not a telecommunication company. Justice Oweibo adjourned the case to March 6 and 7, 2024 for continuation of trial.
