National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Olatunde Oluwasola
A Point of Sale (PoS) operator, conducting business along Obafemi Awolowo Way in Ikeja, Lagos, expressed her distress after falling victim to a fraudster’s scheme on two separate occasions involving fake bank alerts.
The operator, who goes by the name Fiyinfoluwa, shared her ordeal in an interview with our correspondent on Monday.
She recounted losing a total of N100,000 to the fraudster during the recent incident that occurred on Saturday.
Deeply frustrated by the situation, Fiyinfoluwa revealed that despite the perpetrator being apprehended during his second attempt, he managed to evade capture by fleeing in a getaway car.
Detailing her encounter with the fraudster, she stated, “During his initial visit, the fraudster withdrew N50,000 under the pretext that his boss awaited him at a nearby plaza.
Subsequently, he reappeared, altering the story to claim his boss now required N100,000 instead of the initial N50,000.”
Fiyinfoluwa took measures to verify the legitimacy of the transactions by checking her banking app. Unfortunately, her investigation revealed that both alerts were counterfeit.
Narrating the events of the second encounter, she said, “The same fraudster returned on Saturday to replicate his scheme.
Upon sighting him, I immediately recognized him. I confronted him and he readily admitted his role in the N100,000 scam.”
Continuing her account, she added, “He confessed to passing the money to his accomplice at the plaza, suggesting his involvement in a larger network.”
When the fraudster was apprehended, bystanders intervened, leading to a physical altercation. An eyewitness named Bamigbade Suleiman recounted his presence at the scene, stating, “I witnessed the incident unfold as the fraudster attempted to deceive with fake alerts twice.
Fortunately, I managed to subdue him, although he ultimately managed to escape.”
During the altercation, it was discovered that the fraudster was carrying more than N50,000 on his person.
Fiyinfoluwa sought to recover her lost funds, appealing to those who intervened.
Regrettably, she was only able to reclaim N15,000 of the stolen amount.
