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Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Anambra State police command has arrested a suspected syndicate who specialises in defrauding innocent traders using fake bank payment alerts.
The suspects was said to have been defrauding innocent traders by generating fake bank payment alerts. They allegedly went to the shop of one Godwin Chukwu of No. 59, Zik Avenue, Awka, on the 31/7/2019 to buy televisions.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr. Haruna Mohommed, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects gave their names as Eko Charles aged 25 years (main suspect) and Rabiu Idris aged 24 years (receiver) both from Gariki Ugwuoba, Enugu State.
He said that the suspects fraudulently generated and sent fake SMS alert for the payment of N200,000 to the victims’ phone and he released two 43 inch television sets oblivious of their fraudulent trick.
According to PPRO, “on the 1/8/2019 at about 6:20pm, following intelligence report, police operatives attached to the Command Monitoring Unit (CMU) arrested the syndicate.
“Suspects who specialise in defrauding innocent traders by generating fake bank payment alerts went to the shop of one Godwin Chukwu of No. 59 Zik Avenue, Awka, on the 31/7/2019 to buy televisions, fraudulently generated and sent fake SMS alert for the payment of N200,000 to his phone and he released two 43-inch television sets oblivious of their fraudulent trick.
“Consequently, on the 1/8/2019 at about 1:pm, the suspects did the same thing and collected four televisions and other accessories all valued at N230,000.
“The victim went to the bank to withdraw the money but was told by the bank that no payment was made into his account. But as luck would have it, same syndicate placed an order for a 95-inch TV, deep freezer, Sumec fireman generator with a promise to transfer money. The police detectives laid siege to the shop premises and arrested the main suspect, one Eko Charles, who came to collect the items.
“However, four 32-inches television sets earlier collected under false pretence from the complainant were recovered from Rabiu Idris,” he stated.
Mohammed said that the case is under investigation after which the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution.
