Man accused of defrauding Qikiqtani Inuit Association out of $2.2M
Inuit association says it has recovered most of the money; No projects will lose funding
The RCMP have charged a 23-year-old in connection with a cyberfraud attack on Qikiqtani Inuit Association. (File photo)
A 23-year-old is accused with defrauding Qikiqtani Inuit Association out of $2.2 million in a cyber scam.
Chukwuma Eruchalu was arrested in Winnipeg on April 22 after an Nunavut RCMP investigation assisted by Manitoba RCMP and QIA staff.
Eruchalu was charged with fraud over $5,000. He remains in custody and is set to appear in court in Iqaluit on May 27.
QIA offered some details about the incident Friday morning in a news release.
It said a third-party organization was hacked and its email address was used to provide QIA with fraudulent banking details.
The Inuit association has since recovered $2.1 million and is working to recover the rest.
“No projects will lose funding due to our ability to recover the funds and we are taking all legal steps available to recover the remaining funds,” Karen Flaherty, QIA’s strategic communications director, said in an email to Nunatsiaq News on Friday.
It’s unclear which organization’s email was used to defraud QIA or how the incident was carried out. Nunavut RCMP spokesperson Sgt. George Henrie declined to provide those details, because that information may be used as evidence in court.
QIA also will not provide further details while the case is before the courts, Flaherty said.
She said while QIA has strong cybersecurity policies, the organization continues to ensure “all staff are updated on cyberfraud and the ever-evolving ways that perpetrators attempt to defraud organizations.”
Hopefully they had insurance coverage
I’m glad they caught the little bugger, so many hackers out there, glad it wasn’t like the GN with the ransomware, the GN lost a lot of their data and records, not sure if they had to pay the ransom or not.
Stay vigilant and careful opening attachments.