NewStats: 3,262,627 , 8,177,729 topics. Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2025 at 05:48 AM 2k561k

…Phones with details, alerts are targets

…Pick pockets, banker’s connection

By Evelyn Usman


THE Lagos State Police Command has smashed a syndicate that specialised in dispossessing victims’ phones for the purpose of getting their details and making withdrawals without the holder’s knowledge.

Arrested were six suspected of the gang, among them: a staff of one of the second generation banks and a pickpocket.

Before the arrest, security agents in particular and Nigerians in general have been inundated with complaints from persons who fell victims to these fraudsters. Some personal experiences were even circulated via whatsapp and other social media platforms, warning Nigerians to guard their phones.

The arrest is the first since the hoodlums devised this fraudulent means to make ends meet.
Identities of the suspects are : Akeem Apejoye (29) Nelson Mathew (26) Ohiozoye Joseph (30)Henry Omogbemi (31) Chris Amaechi (26) banker and Mona John (27).

of the syndicate in this exclusive interview with Crime Guard made starling revelations on their respective role in the fraudulent act. They disclosed that those who have Automated Teller Machine cards are at a disadvantage whenever their phones are stolen, as well as those who store their numbers on their phones or receive alerts on their phones.

To get victims phones, the syndicate liaise with pick pockets who steal phone and bring the sim cards to them, at the end of which they are paid.


Confessions

According to Ohiozogie Joseph , an Edo state indigene , “ My role is to get details of the Bank Verification Number from stolen sim cards.

Thereafter, I will Oracle and Hunter ( still on the run) who are into internet fraud. They would deactivate the settings and withdraw money from any available ATM machine or transfer online to a Merchant bank. I get at least N50,000 at the end of each transaction. “


Banker’s connection

On his part, Chris Amaechi, a banker with one of the second generation banks who itted to be working with some of the syndicate, disclosed that he had done six transactions with one of the .

The graduate of Banking and Finance from Saint Paul University, Awka , Anambra state also revealed that he got N15,000 at the end of each successful deal. His major role was to give full details of victims , particularly those who have s with his bank.

He said, “A friend Ayobami, popularly called AY, gave customers details to me to withdraw money. At times I gave them the exact , if owner of the banks with us. I met AY in December 2017.

I have so far done six transactions with him but not all went through. In my own bank, the stolen sim must have an ATM cards, for withdrawals of such to be possible. One Gabriel also approached me for same deal .

We have been talking but he was yet to give me any deal before I was arrested.” Asked if he had ever received complaint from victims, he replied “ I do not work in the unit where customers lodge complaints. I work in Cards Services department. I was employed as a contract staff 11 months ago and I earn N75,000 monthly”.

As for Nelson Matthew, he stated that he only accepted sim cards of a particular bank ( name withheld) from pickpockets. Explaining, he said that his role was to “do USSD transfer by rolling victims SIM cards. For instance when such sims are given to me, the first thing is to get the person’s number and the code.

All I need to do is dial *901#. This is followed by a request to create a pin and another request for code. Again, I will dial *565 # which will reveal the ten digits of the holder’s BVN . From there I will take the last four digits and create another pin. Thereafter, I will make transfer online, to a merchant . I have done this over 15 times last year but this is my first attempt this year”.

Asked how much he had made so far, he said “ that depends on the withdrawal limit. In my case, the limit of the bank I can access is N20,000”.


Our targets

“Our targets are those who store their numbers on their phones. We also get details through alerts on phones “, said the 2015 graduate of Wedding and Fabrication from the Yaba College of Technology.

Another suspect, Henry Omagbemi, said he was a lone ranger and that he was also into USSD transfer of s of two particular banks which daily withdrawal unit is N200,000.

He said , “I get between N40,000 and N50,000 on each withdrawal . All I need is the sim card which are brought to me by pickpockets. I only know one of the pickpockets, Obinna, his share is N70,000 on each successful withdrawal. At times, when I get a sim, I will AY who will get the banker that will give us the last four digits of the holder. At the end, the banker (Ameachi ) gets N20,000”.

During investigation, one of the suspects Muna John was discovered to have had his last transaction two weeks ago where N200,000 was withdrawn from the victim’s .

But in his case he stated that a relative of the victim brought the sim to him. “Somebody called and said he had his brother’s sim card in which was an alert of N360,000. I ed AY who told me that he was not around. I had to call Gabriel because I do not know how to go about it.

He ( Gabriel) collected the sim and sent it to the banker, from where N200,000 was withdrawn.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/extract-bank-details-stolen-phones-withdraw-money-suspects/

Fraud is a booming business in this zoo

May God save us from fraudsters. Bitcoin is the only surest thing now o.

The victory of sin/evil over righteousness/good is just but for a moment.

So many people do not care about what happens to others as long as it does not happen to them.

Dear fraudulent people/sinners,
WHEN WILL YOU SINCERELY REPENT AND ACCEPT JESUS,before it will be too late?

If u see sin as ENJOYMENT and continue in it until u miss HEAVEN,
Cheeeeei........!
l assure u that u will never miss HELL.
Think!
REPENT NOW!

what a combination..a banker,a pickpocketer and hackers

G

See how these criminals are fooling the Nigeria Police.

Nobody cannot make withdrawal by been with a persons details or BVN.

This shows how poorly enlightened our police officers are.

Afonja and Igbo,

This is serious

Nawa, the country don maga reach like this? Lord have mercy!

God who do us this thing...The way Nigerians invest time,energy,into scams and fraudulent practices amazes me�����..…if only they can channel same to something legal...Nigeria would have been better

Wazobia thieves

I should start protecting my SIMs with PIN codes.

This is deep... Fraud taking its toll in Nigeria... Signs of end time

Well-done

This is an eye opener o

For bankers in the house? what do we do when the number linked to your number is stolen especially since the emergence of USSD

Was a victim this last December and my emptied.

Somehow tracked the guy and got his number and pictures but he has been threatening my life since then

Afj

Benjom:
May God save us from fraudsters. Bitcoin is the only surest thing now o.

WHAT IS BITCOIN?

*IT'S CALLED MONKEY BUSINESS* ������


A long time ago in a village far far away.......A lot of monkeys lived near the village.�������

One day a merchant came to the village to buy these monkeys!������

He announced that he will buy the monkeys @ $100 each. ��

The villagers thought that this man is mad.�

They thought how can somebody buy stray monkeys at $100 each?�

Still, some people caught some monkeys and gave it to this merchant and he gave $100 for each monkey. �

This news spread like wildfire and people caught monkeys and sold it to the merchant.�

After a few days, the merchant announced that he will buy monkeys @ 200 each. ���

The lazy villagers also ran around to catch the remaining monkeys!������

They sold the remaining monkeys @ 200 each.�

Then the merchant announced that he will buy monkeys @ 500 each!
������

The villagers start to lose sleep! ... They caught six or seven monkeys, which was all that was left and got 500 each.�������

The villagers were waiting anxiously for the next announcement.�

Then the merchant announced that he is going home for a week. And when he returns, he will buy monkeys @ 1000 each!�����������

He asked his employee to take care of the monkeys he bought. He was alone taking care of all the monkeys in a cage.������������������������������������������������

The merchant went home.�

The villagers were very sad as there were no more monkeys left for them to sell it at $1000 each.☹��

Then the employee told them that he will sell some monkeys @ 700 each secretly. �

This news spread like fire. Since the merchant buys monkey @ 1000 each, there is a 300 profit for each monkey.�

The next day, villagers made a queue near the monkey cage.������������������

The employee sold all the monkeys at 700 each. The rich bought monkeys in big lots. The poor borrowed money from money lenders and also bought monkeys!
��������������������

The villagers took care of their monkeys & waited for the merchant to return. �

But nobody came! ...� Then they ran to the employee...�

But he has already left too !�

The villagers then realised that they have bought the useless worthless stray monkeys @ $700 each and they are now unable to resell them! ��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂��‍♂���������� Nobody has use for stray monkeys....


The rush into trading in Bitcoin is the next *monkey business* ��������������
�

Once the trading stops who will want to buy a digital code with no intrinsic value?����������

It will make a lot of people bankrupt and a few people filthy rich in this *monkey business*����������. ��

That's how *Monkey Business* works ��������

newyorks:
what a combination..a banker,a pickpocketer and hackers

real gangs. I love the team

closed

Iyen na tun wa

The banker guy is a huge disappointment to banking and all it stands for

Good work....wisdom being used in other to dupe people

Some IDIOTS just wanna feast on the hustle of others.

Uba

Yinmu

Hmmm...