In the first weeks of the corona pandemic, there was a severe shortage of fans in New York. A Nigerian criminal exploited him mercilessly. Fabian Urech tells the story in the podcast.
“NZZ Akzent”: a New York hacker scam on millions
Author
Nadine Landert, David Vogel
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In this podcast episode:
At the end of March 2020, the New York authorities are in turmoil. Of all the American states, New York was the first to be hit by the corona pandemic. The effects are dramatic and the new daily infection curve is soaring, with no foreseeable end.
The offer that Chidozie Collins Obasi makes to the health authorities arrives, just in time. Under the pseudonym of “Marc Alfredo”, the Nigerian offers 3,000 fans in an email. Nowadays, this medical device is the equipment that can make the difference between life and death. But New York has too few.
“No wonder the authorities bite”, says Fabian Urech in the new episode of “NZZ Akzent”, “and then Obasi strikes the decisive blow.” In another email from March 31, 2020, he asks New York to pay him much of the total amount. “Two hours later he’s a rich man and then he’s gone.”
It wasn’t until two years later, in September 2022, that the FBI issued a manhunt on Obasi, along with a detailed log of events. “These records show how overwhelmed the powerful New York health authority was during the first crown wave,” says Fabian Urech.
All episodes of “NZZ Akzent” can be found in this overview.
