Serial MoMo fraudster granted bail

The Kasoa Akweley Dis­trict Court, presided over by Stephen Ofori Akrasi, has granted bail to a serial mobile money (MoMo) fraudster operat­ing in Kasoa and its neighbouring areas in the Central Region.

The suspect faces a charge of falsely obtaining electronic payments, in violation of Section 119 of the Electronic Transac­tions Act 2008, Act 772.

Multiple mobile money ven­dors in the Kasoa Municipality have fallen victim to the tactics employed by Emmanuel Dawson, a 33-year-old taxi driver residing in Opeikuma, a suburb of Kasoa.

Dawson’s modus operandi involves initiating a small trans­action with MoMo vendors and then requesting the contact in­formation of the business owner, feigning interest in a substantial transaction.

He then copies the WhatsApp display picture of the business owner, creates a new WhatsApp account using that image, and initiates a conversation involving himself, the unsuspecting vendor, and the vendor, posing as the business owner.

In this elaborate scheme, Dawson convinces the vendor to transfer money to another MoMo account, from which he later withdraws the funds.

His arrest came after he defrauded a female vendor of GH¢2,500, prompting a week-long investigation by the police intelligence unit under Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Alex Obiri Yeboah.

Numerous victims have come forward to testify against the sus­pect, since his arrest prompting a series of hearings at the Kasoa District Police Command.

Despite the gravity of the charges, the Kasoa Akweley Dis­trict Court granted Dawson bail in the amount of GH¢20,000.

This bail comes with the con­dition of providing two sureties, including one with a verified landed property, to be confirmed by a government worker earn­ing no less than GH¢2,000 per month.

Michael Lartey, legal counsel for the accused, who pleaded not guilty, argued for bail on the grounds that Dawson poses no flight risk and has a well-estab­lished and permanent place of residence. — citinewsroom.com

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