AS fraudsters specialising in defrauding Point of Sale (POS) operators continue to roam the Ogwashi-Uku metropolis, another female operator has fallen victim to the hoodlums.
She was defrauded at her point of operation along DacChukwura Street, off Isah–Ogwashi-Uku road axis.
Information available shows that the fraudster succeeded in withdrawing ₦72,000 from the POS operator using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card.
Although the circumstances leading to the withdrawal remain unclear, sources at the scene hinted that the purported transfer into the POS operator’s account had indicated it was successful before the victim handed him the cash equivalent.
“It was after the hoodlum had left that the POS operator realised the money had not entered her account. By that time, the hoodlum had escaped,” disclosed a source privy to the incident.
Recall that another POS operator was recently defrauded of the sum of ₦56,000 somewhere at Ogbe-Ishago in Ogwashi-Uku metropolis.
Findings indicate that it was under similar circumstances that the victim at the DacChukwura Street junction was also scammed.
Further findings also revealed that the new victim, just like the previous one, is new in the POS business.
A concerned resident of Ogwashi-Uku metropolis, Sir Austin Chiekwe, urged POS operators to be vigilant, adding that it would not be long before the cup of the hoodlums would be full.
“You know it has been said that every day is for the criminal, but one day will be for the owner of the house. “This scamming of POS operators is a recent development. We were not having such incidents in the past, or probably it was happening, but I was not aware. “But if you look at the way it is recurring, it is obvious somebody somewhere has made it his own form of advance fee fraud. I believe that with a little alertness on the part of the operators, the criminal will be apprehended.
“I don’t see any reason why today’s youths do not want to do anything legitimate to earn their living. If they are not defrauding Europeans, they are defrauding their fellow Nigerians.
“Now it has come down to poor POS operators who are struggling to make ends meet. It is indeed an unfortunate development,” Chiekwe said.
