A 63-year-old woman in Lagos has been sick after losing N6.2 million to fraudsters.
Anu Joseph, the victim’s daughter, told newsmen that her devastated mother was presently suffering from High Blood Pressure as a result of the event.
On June 7, 2023, Joseph stated she gave an unknown sum of money to her mother to solve an urgent situation.
She stated that when her mother went to the bank, she was unable to complete the transaction because she required specific paperwork that she did not have with her on that particular day.
Her mother, she claims, fell into the hands of fraudsters while returning from the bank.
“It happened on June 7, 2023,” she explained. I sent money to my mother for an important transaction, and I directed her to a bank location on Victoria Island. She went but was unable to finish the deal due to missing paperwork.
“She came out of the bank to leave, and she was wondering how she was going to get to Ojuelegba from there.” A car parked in front of her, and the driver inquired where she was going, which she informed him. He motioned for her to enter.
“They started discussing Pounds, someone having a consignment, and all that, and they convinced her to withdraw N3 million and give it to them,” my mother said.
She alleged that her mother, accompanied by the driver, withdrew N3 million and went to meet some people who supplied bank information via which the money was paid.
“My mother couldn’t tell anyone until her blood pressure skyrocketed and she became ill.” She is no longer in her right mind because she discovered it was a hoax. “She refused to accept that she had been duped,” Joseph explained.
She went on to say that the scammers continued to call her mother and that she continued to transfer money to them until she ran out of money.
“As if that wasn’t enough, these people continued to contact her, and she continued to send them money to the tune of N6.2m,” she added.
Joseph was perplexed as to why the police officers at the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex in Alagbon, where the matter was lodged, were unable to track down the fraudsters despite having their bank data.
When contacted, FCID spokesperson Niyi Ogundeyi stated that he met with the victim’s daughter and that the inquiry into the issue was underway.
“I met with the victim’s daughter,” he explained. I saw the petition, and some processes must be financed regardless of the officer who will handle them.
“Tracking is required, and it will cost money.” The cops do not have a tracking device. They also require a court warrant to follow the phone numbers on the accounts rather than hunting for people without addresses.
“In Lagos, courts do not repeat court orders. The police would have to travel to Ibadan to obtain this court order, as banks will not act without it.
“It’s a process, and the police don’t have the money to do it all.”
“However, the investigation is still ongoing, and based on my findings, the officer in charge of the case is doing everything possible to ensure the fraudsters are apprehended.”
Meanwhile, state Police Public Relations Officer Benjamin Hundeyin asked folks to learn from the mistakes of others.
“People should learn from the experiences and trials of others.” They should use extreme caution while engaging in financial talks with anyone.
“The police will always investigate every complaint we receive, and we will continue to educate people to be very cautious in their daily activities,” he added.
