Crime & Punishment of Friday, 24 September 2010

Source: Ghanaian Times

ATM fraudster busted

A 25 year-old man, Kayode Opeyemi, has been arrested by the Commercial Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department for allegedly using an Automotive Teller Machine (ATM) card to withdraw money from customer’s accounts.

His two accomplices, whose names were given only as Lardi and Shehu alias Esho, are on the run. Briefing the Times newaper in Accra Yesterday, Director-General of CID, Prosper Agblor, said Opeyemi was arrested on Wednesday morning at a bank in Accra Central with five ATM cards, three of them fake and two genuine ones. He said Opeyemi was arrested upon a tip off.

Explaining the mode of operation of the suspects, Mr. Agblor said the group moved from one bank to the other spying on people who withdrew money using ATM cards.

Sometimes, he said, the group approached and offered assistance to ATM card holders, As they “assisted” the people, they memorized the number or digits on the ATM card and later produced copies of the card which they used to withdraw money from the account of their victims.

Mr. Abglor said when interrogated Opeyemi admitted committing the offence but said that he was lured by his two friends who gave him the cards and he succeeded in withdrawing GH¢25.00, from which he was given GH¢5.00. Times