ATM Fraudsters Withdraw N495,000 From Man’s Account
Enugu State Police Command has arrested and arraigned a mother of four and three others for an alleged involvement in Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Cards swapping.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed this to newsmen said, peratives serving in Hawk Tactical Squad of the Enugu State Command, together with Troops of the Nigerian Air Force, Enugu, on May 6, 2023, at about 4.30pm, intercepted and arrested the suspects in Emene axis of Enugu.
The PPRO gave the names of the suspects as: Michael Sopuruchi aged 36, Osinachi Godwin aged 18 and Moses Ani aged 29, and a mother of four, Chika Nwoko aged 29.
He said the suspects were arrested, while escaping to their criminal hideout in Emene, Enugu, after they fraudulently stole the ATM Card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) of an unsuspecting 63 year old male victim, while pretending to assist him withdraw money from a commercial Bank ATM along Ogui Road, Enugu.
According to the PPRO, “Immediately after the swap, the suspects used the Card and PIN to withdraw the total sum of four hundred and ninety-five thousand Naira (N495,000.00) from the victim’s account.”
He further revealed that the suspects confessed to the crime, saying that they have carried out many other criminal acts of ATM Cards swapping and fraud within Enugu metropolis.
Four different banks’ ATM Cards, including that of the victim, were recovered from them.
The suspects have been arraigned in court where the Magistrate ordered that they should be remanded in Enugu Custodial Centre.
The case was adjourned to June 7, this year, for further hearing while the case-file was transmitted to the Attorney General for legal advice, through the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Enugu State.
Reacting to the report, Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, commended the Joint Operatives for busting and bringing the criminal syndicate to book.
He, however, called on bank customers, particularly the elderly and those without proper knowledge of how to use ATM of banks to exercise caution and seek assistance of Bank staff while using their cards on the machine.
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