Essential Ndubuisi
Fiyinfoluwa, a Point of Sale (POS) operator on Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos, expressed frustration as she fell victim to a cunning fraudster who deceived her with counterfeit bank alerts on two separate occasions.
In an interview with our correspondent on Monday, Fiyinfoluwa disclosed that she lost N100,000 to the fraudster during the latest incident that occurred on Saturday.
Recalling the ordeal, Fiyinfoluwa stated, “The fraudster initially withdrew N50,000, citing a supposed rendezvous with his boss at a nearby plaza. Later, he returned, claiming his boss required N100,000 instead of N50,000.”
Suspecting foul play, Fiyinfoluwa checked her banking app, only to discover that both alerts were fabricated.
Despite catching the fraudster in the act during his second attempt, he managed to escape in a getaway car, leaving Fiyinfoluwa in dismay.
Fiyinfoluwa recounted, “On Saturday, he returned for a repeat performance. As soon as I saw him, I recognized him. I confronted him, and he admitted to swindling me of N100,000. He mentioned that he had handed the money to his boss at the plaza, implying that he was working on behalf of someone else.”
However, her attempt to recover the money proved futile. Fiyinfoluwa explained, “A group of individuals who apprehended the fraudster found more than N50,000 in his possession. Although I pleaded for the return of my money, I was only reimbursed N15,000.”
Eyewitness Bamigbade Suleiman shared his perspective, revealing that he was present when the suspect was caught. Suleiman mentioned, “The fraudster successfully executed fake alerts on two occasions, and I had the opportunity to apprehend him. However, he managed to escape.”
As the hunt for the elusive fraudster continues, Fiyinfoluwa’s unfortunate experience underscores the growing concern of digital scams and fraudulent activities targeting small business operators.
