Operatives of the Adamawa State Police Command have arrested two suspected fraudsters over an alleged ATM card swap scam that reportedly resulted in the loss of ₦400,000.
The suspects, identified as 50-year-old Yusuf Maika and 52-year-old Abubakar Mustapha, both residents of Jos, Plateau State, were arrested after allegedly defrauding a man identified as Yunusa Usman at an Access Bank ATM in Adamawa State.
The police said the suspects were apprehended on Monday, September 7, following a complaint by the victim and a swift response by bank officials.
Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that the suspects specialised in targeting ATM users experiencing network or transaction difficulties. They allegedly offered unsolicited assistance, watched victims enter their PINs, and secretly swapped their ATM cards with similar cards without their knowledge.
The suspects would then allegedly use a mobile POS machine to withdraw or transfer money from the victims’ accounts.
Police said 23 ATM cards belonging to different banks, one Moniepoint POS machine allegedly used to debit victims’ accounts, and ₦400,000 suspected to be proceeds of the crime were recovered from the suspects.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed that they travelled from Jos to Adamawa State the previous week with the intention of carrying out the fraudulent activities.
The police said the suspects remain in custody and will be charged to court after the completion of investigations.
