"Cybercrime: A con-lady poses as a businesswoman and extorts over 5 million fcfa from her clients."

"Cybercrime continues to prevail in the online business sector, as evidenced by the shocking story of Crescence, a 28-year-old alleged cybercriminal. Using sophisticated hacking tactics, she is accused of extorting over 5 million CFA francs from her victims by posing as a legitimate businesswoman. This case highlights the growing dangers faced by online entrepreneurs and underscores the increasing importance of cybersecurity in today's economy. Judicial authorities are taking action to prosecute Crescence and ensure that cybercriminals are held accountable for their harmful actions.

The anti-criminality unit of the Judicial Police in Bonanjo, Douala, arrested and publicly presented a suspected cybercriminal, a 28-year-old woman named Crescence. She is accused of hacking into the WhatsApp account of a businesswoman who sells clothes online and using a fake Facebook account with the businesswoman's photo to extort money from her clients. She managed to deceive a total sum of 5,000,000 CFA francs."
The victim, Francine Ngouabe, testified to the devastating impact of the cyberattack on her business. "I sell various clothes online. At one point, some of my clients started contacting me, accusing me of being a thief and a scammer for taking their money without delivering their orders. This greatly affected my business. I had to ask one of my clients who provided screenshots of a conversation with the cybercriminal. I saw a fake account of myself on Facebook and my WhatsApp was hacked," she explained to journalists.

The suspect's arrest occurred after Francine filed a complaint with the Judicial Police in Bonanjo. An immediate investigation was conducted, leading to the arrest of the suspect. Commander Essono Edou Arsène, head of the research and investigation unit, revealed, "Mrs. Francine approached us after receiving several complaints from her clients. We opened an investigation and arrested the suspect who hacked Francine's WhatsApp account. When she collected money, she blocked the victim. She managed to deceive Francine's clients of the sum of five million CFA francs. The suspect admitted to committing the crimes."

Crescence, 28 years old, will face the charges against her before the judicial authorities in the coming days. This case underscores the importance of increased awareness of cybersecurity and warns online entrepreneurs about the inherent risks in their activities.