20-Year-Old Fake Alert Scammer Arrested In Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command has successfully apprehended one Segun Gabriel, for his involvement in a series of fake alert scams in Ajuwon, Ifo local government area of the State.

The 20-year-old was arrested on Friday, October 6, 2023.

According to Spokesperson for the Command, Omolola Odutola, Gabriel’s arrest was the culmination of a well-coordinated effort by law enforcement.

According to the police, Gabriel’s modus operandi involved fraudulent inter-bank transfers through Point of Sale (POS) transactions, leaving unsuspecting victims in the lurch.

The first instance of Gabriel’s deception occurred on October 5th when he executed a fake inter-bank transfer of forty thousand Naira, leaving a POS operator with a considerable loss.

Remarkably, the victim remained unaware of the fraud until Gabriel returned the next day, October 6th, to perpetrate another deceitful act, successfully withdrawing an additional thirty-five thousand Naira.

Only after the criminal vanished did the victim realize the extent of the scam.

In a statement released by Odutola, she described the incident in detail, stating, “A Point of Sale operator who is also a victim of one Segun Gabriel ‘m,’ 20 years old, a rogue and a vagabond who specializes in transferring money out of POS accounts using fake alerts, is now in the net of the Ajuwon Divisional Police. He was arrested on the 6th of October 2023.”

The statement continued, “While the victim was on her lawful activities on the same date, at about 16:30hrs, she was lucky to have sighted the suspect under the bridge in Akute. She raised an alarm, attracting passersby who assisted her in arresting Segun Gabriel.

The Police were contacted, and he is presently in police custody giving vital information to the Police on how to arrest his accomplices.”

The arrest of Segun Gabriel is seen as a significant victory against the scourge of fake alert scams that have plagued the area.

Local authorities are now actively working to uncover any potential accomplices connected to Gabriel, further emphasizing their commitment to safeguarding the community against financial fraudsters.

• Yusuf Oketola