Rwanda jails 8 Kenyans in Equity bank hacking case.
The eight are part of a gang of 12 men arrested in 2019 by the Rwanda Investigation Office (RIB) which included three Rwandan nationals and one Ugandan.
Eight Kenyans arrested in Rwanda for robbing Equity Bank were sentenced to eight years in prison and a fine of 5.6 million shillings.
The eight are part of a gang of 12 men arrested in 2019 by the Rwanda Investigation Office (RIB) which included three Rwandan nationals and one Ugandan.
Regional security teams tracked down a gang involved in bank robberies in Kenya and Uganda and alerted Rwandan authorities when they moved there.
Members of the organized group were arrested for embezzling Equity Bank accounts and giving Rwandans money to withdraw money through Eazzy Banking and ATMs.
Rwanda’s daily report reported that the court ruled on Friday, July 2, fining 50 million Rwf (Shs 5.3 million) for damages and nearly 3 million Rwf (Shs 322,000) for other charges.
“The court reversed the decision on all five charges; unauthorized access to computer or data on computer system; access to data with intent to commit an offense; unauthorized modification of computer data or computer systems; run; and form or join a criminal association, ”reports Rwanda.
Dedan Muchoki Muriuki, Samuel Wachira Nyuguto, Kinyua Erickson Macharia, Godfrey Gachiri Githinji, Eric Dickson Njagi Mutegi, Reuben Kirogothi Mwangi, Damaris Njeri Kamau and Steve Maina Wambugu are the Kenyans involved.
Hackers working with locals to identify targets and large deposits tried to capture the 14-branch network of the lender and compiled a computer text to transfer money to several local accounts.
They tried to infiltrate Eazzy’s banking platform, which banks and security agents blocked after being notified of their activities, as well as recruiting Rwandans who would use it to withdraw money from accounts.
Rwanda has experienced a threefold increase in cybercrime, from just 47 cases reported in 2017 to 113 cases in 2018, 64 of which were committed in Kigali.
Rwanda’s verdict follows an increase in cybercrime activities in the region, with security experts calling for co-operation to seize cross-border carriages on the border, bringing disaster to financial institutions.
At home, Kenya’s heavily computer-connected economy connected to mobile phones through bank operators and banks has made the country a target for cybercrime and cyber fraud.
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