Nigerian Fraudster and His Oyibo Wife Caught After Using Fake Names to Buy Luxury Cars, Over $100k Gift Cards

Ekene Sampson Akpuru and his girlfriend, Lauren Elizabeth after they were caught

A Nigerian fraudster has found himself in serious trouble after he was caught alongside the white girlfriend by the police.

Police say a Scottsdale couple used fake names and stolen identifications to purchase luxury vehicles and over $100,000 in gift cards, ABC15 has reported.

 

The man identified as Ekene Sampson Akpuru, 30, who also goes by Patrick Beckham and his girlfriend 29-year-old Lauren Elizabeth Lees, used faked identifications and stolen social security cards to make multiple purchases.  

 

The couple were exposed after Akpuru, going by the name Beckham bought a 'Slingshot' from Indian Victory Motorcycle of Scottsdale. He used a Social Security card and a Minnesota driver's license as identification to make the purchase. He used the same ID's when buying a Mercedes in Scottsdale. Police tracked down the Social Security number to a child in Oklahoma.

 

Police say Akpuru had multiple ID's and made credit cards using fake ID's. In addition to the Mercedes and Slingshot, he used the money to buy a condo in Scottsdale. He also allegedly used the credit cards to purchase thousands of dollars in gift cards and sent money to accounts in Nigeria.

 

Akpuru was in the process of buying another Mercedes worth about $245,000 when police raided his home.

 

Scottsdale Police report that on August 3 they served a searched warrant on his home near 66th Street and Thomas Road and the Mercedes being driven by girlfriend, Lees.

 

Inside the home and car, they reportedly found numerous unused gift cards worth over $140,000. Akpuru is in the United States on an expired Visa and fled from Georgia and Pennsylvania to Arizona to avoid two active warrants for his arrest.  

 

Akpuru is being held on a $500,000 cash bond and they are both being charged with fraudulent schemes and forgery.