The Cross River State Police Command has taken into custody a 24-year-old man, Divine Joseph, for allegedly defrauding a Point of Sale (POS) operator of nearly ₦375,000.
The arrest was confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, who addressed newsmen in Calabar on Thursday
According to the police, Joseph allegedly exploited his proximity to the victim’s shop, which is situated opposite his gas retail outlet, to carry out the fraudulent acts. He reportedly devised a strategy that involved using an expired bank card to access the POS terminal under the pretext of checking his account balance.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had previously observed the vendor’s Personal Identification Number (PIN) while she processed a transaction for him. After memorising the PIN, he allegedly returned on several occasions to manipulate transactions on the terminal.
Police said Joseph would request minor transfers but alter the amounts without the vendor’s knowledge. In one instance, he reportedly asked to transfer ₦1,400 but changed the figure to ₦77,000 before handing the device back to the operator to complete the transaction.
The suspect also allegedly cancelled legitimate transactions and redirected funds to another POS account under his control, from which he withdrew the money. He is said to have repeated the process between four and five times.
During interrogation, Joseph admitted to the scheme and disclosed that the total amount siphoned from the victim was close to ₦375,000.
ASP Eitokpah described the arrest as part of ongoing efforts by the Uwanse Division to combat rising cases of POS fraud in the area. He urged POS operators to exercise caution by protecting their PINs, carefully confirming transaction details, and routinely checking their account balances.
He also called on residents to promptly report suspicious activities to the police, assuring the public of the command’s commitment to tackling financial crimes in the state.