The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) on Thursday, July 25, paraded six members – four men and two women – of a suspected seven-person scam crew involved in a failed regional bank heist. The seventh suspect was absent due to “health reasons”. Law enforcement burst the money heist mid-execution, recovering Rwf65 million of the approximately Rwf99 million that had been stolen. The suspects are five Rwandans and two Ugandans. The stolen money originated from various local and regional bank accounts and was deposited into the suspects' accounts and debit cards. ALSO READ: Are mobile phone, online scammers getting more sophisticated? According to RIB spokesperson Thierry Murangira, the scam involved a “mastermind,” who recruited people to open or create clean accounts and obtain ATM cards. These recruits forwarded account details, including account numbers, bank identification numbers (BIN), and ATM card information, to the mastermind. A regional bank was targeted and efforts are underway to return the stolen money, he said. The suspects were arrested on July 20. Murangira emphasised the importance of safeguarding banking information, stating, Banking information is sensitive and private. Anyone promising monetary gains in exchange for your data is likely involved in shady business. The suspects were promised a 40 percent cut of all funds deposited in their accounts. Murangira warned the public against falling for such schemes, noting that they often leave a trail leading to capture. ALSO READ: Modern scammers’ tactics for crypto theft The suspects claimed that Rwanda's financial system was too complex to infiltrate, leading them to attempt withdrawals from branches in neighboring countries. They obtained access codes to breach the system, but RIB apprehended them before they succeeded. Investigations continue to identify other culprits, with the identities of the banks involved withheld to protect their reputations. Murangira urged banks to use available measures to prevent unauthorized access to funds from foreign branches, especially for accounts with unusual activity. The suspects face charges including unauthorized disclosure of access codes, continuous fraudulent use of data processing systems, and unauthorized access to computer systems. If convicted, they could face two to 15 years of imprisonment and fines up to Rwf30 million.
