In the night club at night, a handsome young man wearing
shiny boot with a clean 21st century African hair cut style smoking
cigar with a beautiful lady on his right hand side. His name is Patoo, oh am
sorry he is Patrick that is what he has registered himself in the Indian
immigration office in Bangalore, Patoo is what he likes to call himself but his
friends call him Obi since he looks like Michael Obi the Chelsea Football
Player. But is really name is Vincent Obiereka, The name i didn’t know that
until after one year of being friends.
First time when we met at the night club Friday evening
after working hours I saw him looking at me, he likes smart people, the way I
was dresses he was sure am coming from cooperate company with good cash at the
pocket. He came to me and say “Hi bro” do you mind if I join you, I said no big
deal have a sit. We talked different stuffs about Africa with laughter and joy
until when he asked me, what I do, for the living. I laughed and told am a
programmer, he said wow am a programmer too. I was like no way!!! I made a joke “…….and I thought geeks don’t go out to have fun”, he
replied geeks don’t have fun but hackers does. I said to myself this is getting
interesting, “so you are the hacker by professional? “ I asked him. He told me
let’s meet every Friday night I will be telling you stories about Nigerian
hackers just make sure you cover the drinks “ahahahahah” I laughed. That is
when I started to be friend one of the most wanted Nigerian Hackers in India.
Months have passed I met him again in another night club as
usual its Friday night this time he asked me aren’t you going back home for
holidays. I told him I wish, i could but cash issues is what make me stack in
Bangalore. He asked me what is the problem the ticket or? I said yeah the
ticket cost is high bro this season is almost 1800USD up and down wright now
and am bit broke. He told me am going to take
you home with Emirates economy class for just 200USD……, and I
thought the guy was joking, “don’t tell me that shit” i challenged him. He told
me don’t give me the cash until I brought to you your ticket with your name on
it and you can go to the passenger manifest list at the Emirates HQ Bangalore
and confirm your sit if you want. I was like, dudes don’t mess around with me, and
we have known each other long enough don’t screw our friendship with these
stuffs. He said “I told you, am the hacker but you didn’t ask me who am i
working for, which company and how do I make all this money to do these kind of
spending”. “am a private hacker,
giving back to the people what the rich has taken from them” he
insisted. He told me if you are not ready then tell any of your friends who
want to go home for just 200 USD to contact me.
One time, the sad news come from back home Tanzania, one of
my friend lost his parent and he wanted to come back home. The guy was broke
and few months back I told him the story of my hacker friend, he told me please
tell him to do something, I told him he is bluffing but the guys insisted until
I hook him up with Vincent the hacker. Surprisingly my friend got the ticket
from Vincent, a real stuff since he checked with the passenger manifest at the
HQ and he was provided with all the privilege including free food and lodging
during transit. My friend was afraid but he wanted to come back home, oh yes he
came home and attend the funeral for just 400USD ticket costs from the actual
price of 1800USD. Believe me I was never shocked in my life like that time, I
asked myself what the guy did to get the access to the ticket, and not just a
ticket a legit ticket. I asked myself questions without answers now I started
to believe the stories of the mighty Nigerian hackers.
I said to myself no way I have to find out how he did it, I asked myself how he got a legit ticket of world most reputed
airline without being caught by the authorities or even the airline
officials. Now I realized the guy really was the hacker, a big time hacker,
with skills to do dangerous stuffs. At that time special task was established in
Bangalore and Hyderabad by the Local intelligence authorities to apprehend all
cyber criminals since the activities of cybercrimes were increasing at high
rate.
Few days have passed still having questions on my head, someone
called me, the phone was ringing, checking on the incoming call on my
Blackberry 8520 just got released that time, I saw it is Patoo’s number. I
picked up we chat a little as usual the he told me we have to meet he have a
gift for me. I said tell me what is it, he told me am going to teach you one of
the coolest tricks to survive in town and it will be up to you to continue with
it or to leave it. He told me I need to expand my industry so I need some
Tanzanian to possess the skill so that when I approached Tanzanians with my
tickets they should never be afraid since, I will have someone to explain to
them what is happening and to remove worries and doubts in their minds on what
am doing to attain the tickets. “Oh that’s nice when should we meet” I exclaimed,
to me it was a great thing. I didn’t have time to bluff that I don’t want to
know while I know what I need, I needed the knowledge and to learn the magic
trick that even the smartest people in the airline industry were not able to
realize what is going on.
He started by telling me that, last time when we meet I told
you that am taking from the rich and give back to the people what was taken
from them. Am not going to tell you how am doing that but am going to explain
to you the complete mechanism until you got your ticket on your hand. I
listened attentively, he said, few years back we gained access to the accounts
of so many rich guys in US and other countries, he hesitated to mention them
but the problem is we cannot draw money from those accounts since the Banks
will realize and we would be in trouble. Actually what we are doing is
performing online transactions using those accounts, buying things online and
selling them physically to other people. Now, I started to understand him but
still there was one doubt, by buying things online it means the accounts will
be reduced and the owner’s will definitely at some point of time will realize
they have been hacked and someone is tempering with their accounts, I asked him
about this. He laughed and told me that’s why am telling you we are doing
community services since those fox who own these money they have enough money
in their accounts they can’t even if 1,800USD has been deducted from their
accounts and if they see this, they would just think that some operational cost
from the bank has caused the fluctuation, if not exchange rate. I said ok, so that is how you got the money,
so how did you got the ticket. He laughed, you didn’t catch it yet? He asked me
then he told me emirates airline or any other airline out there they are not
the victims we are just buying the tickets online with full payment, the only
problem is that we are not using our online money instead the money we steal
online from the rich guys who don’t care about few dimes………for God sake they can’t even realize when we deduct the money………..
He told me, I have told you enough go and tell your people I
have ticket for them, if you are in you will have a good cut, otherwise keep on
waiting for me to clear your bills on Fridays in the night club, He said it
while laughing.
GreenTech360
@GTech360
Jumanne Mtambalike (gTech360) is a Software Engineer,IT consultant and Web designer based in Africa, currently living in Dar es Salaam Tanzania