A Nigerian woman, Jacob Lilian, has testified before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, detailing how a Chinese employer allegedly lured her into cyber fraud under the guise of a job offer.
Lilian, the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial of Ling Yang, also known as Shao Ming, recounted how her job search led her to Genting International Co. Limited, where she was recruited without any formal documentation and coerced into participating in an internet scam.
Yang, along with Genting International Co. Limited, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge of cybercrime and advance fee fraud.
He was arrested on December 10, 2024, during a surprise operation codenamed “Eagle Flush Operation.”
One of the charges reads: “That you, LING YANG A.K.A. SHAO MING, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for your employer fraudulently impersonated one Amity by holding yourself out as such, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”
He pleaded guilty to all the charges, prompting his trial.
Testifying before Justice D.I. Dipeolu, Lilian narrated that she found the job advertisement in a WhatsApp group called “Job Update.”
The listing indicated a customer service position at an office located at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Lagos.
Upon arrival at the company, she was neither asked to submit a CV nor provide any credentials. Instead, she was required to take a typing speed test.
After securing the job, the company provided her with accommodation on Lagos Island.
“I was later given a script to read, and I was told that was my job,” she said.
“The script had a name, Alani Thomas, and I was asked to get familiar with customers assigned to me and chat with them.”
Lilian further disclosed that the scheme targeted Europeans, and she was instructed to introduce herself as Alani Thomas.
Her conversations with victims were closely monitored, and after a few days of chatting, her employer would take over communication.
She revealed that she was paid a monthly salary of N250,000 and that all Nigerian employees were assigned seat numbers and computers.
According to Lilian, attempts to resign from the job were difficult as the company imposed strict control over its employees.
“We were always escorted by security officials from the office to the accommodation and were never allowed to leave the premises freely,” she testified. “Before starting work each day, we had to submit our phones. The EFCC arrest was a saving grace for me.”
Following her testimony, the prosecution counsel, Hanatu U. KofarNaisa, requested an adjournment to present further evidence, including the company’s computers containing incriminating scripts.
Meanwhile, Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case until April 11, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
