Police Arrest 24-Year-Old Over Alleged ₦375,000 POS Fraud in C'River
Benjamin GBOR
The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old man, Divine Joseph, over an alleged Point of Sale (POS) fraud involving the siphoning of about ₦375,000 from a female vendor.
The arrest was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, who addressed journalists at the Uwanse Police Division on Thursday.
According to the police spokesperson, the suspect allegedly manipulated transactions on a POS terminal operated by a woman whose shop is located opposite his gas retail outlet.
ASP Eitokpah explained that the suspect devised a method of inserting an expired bank card into the POS machine under the guise of checking his account balance. During one of his visits, he reportedly asked the vendor to input her Personal Identification Number (PIN), claiming he needed to confirm a transaction.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had earlier observed the vendor’s PIN when she processed a transaction for him. He allegedly memorized the PIN and subsequently used it to initiate unauthorized transfers from the POS terminal to another POS account, from where he withdrew the funds.
While narrating how he carried out the operation, Joseph admitted to manipulating transaction details.
He said that on one occasion, he requested to make a transfer of ₦1,400 but altered the amount to ₦77,000 without the vendor’s knowledge before handing the device back to her to complete the process.
He further confessed that he used a fake card to repeatedly access the POS machine under the pretext of checking his balance, during which he cancelled legitimate transactions and redirected funds to another account. He said he carried out the act four to five times.
When asked how much he had taken from the victim, the suspect disclosed that the total amount was close to ₦375,000.
ASP Eitokpah described the arrest as one of several recent breakthroughs recorded by the Uwanse Division in tackling POS-related fraud.
He advised POS operators to remain vigilant by carefully verifying all transactions, safeguarding their PINs, and regularly checking their account balances after each transaction.
“If you see something, say something. The police is your friend,” the police spokesperson said, urging members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities to law enforcement authorities.
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