The Kwara State Police Command has warned about a new tactic used by criminals who disguise themselves as Point of Sales (POS) agents to carry out robberies and collect kidnap ransom.
The state Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, revealed this during a visit by the Kwara Association of Professional Point of Sales Agents (KAPPSA) and the Information Technology Professional Association (ITPA).
Commissioner Olaiya expressed concerns about criminals infiltrating the ranks of POS agents, emphasizing the importance of legitimate operators in the state.
He mentioned cases where kidnap ransom was paid through POS transactions and robbers carrying POS machines to homes for criminal activities.
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“Kidnap ransom is paid through POS in some cases and we have cases where robbers now go to homes with POS machines.
“But with an association capturing legitimate operators in the state, it makes it easy to track criminality,” the CP said.
Represented by the DCP Operations, Adekimi Ojo, the CP advised POS operators, especially not to “Make it a habit to transfer money beyond certain thresholds.
“When you do, make sure the customer leaves with you a means of traceable identification like their NIN number”, he said.
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Speaking during the visit, Mr Ridwan Ayinde Opakunle, president of both KAPPSA and ITPA in Kwara State, requested police assistance in curbing the activities of fraudsters who are using their businesses to defraud unsuspecting victims.
“Cyber criminals and money transaction crooks have grown more sophisticated, which requires that ITPA and KAPSSA task force units are better trained to help protect their members.
“We are reliably informed that fraudsters posing as POS operators now carry pre-configured machines that automatically download financial data and key codes of victims that help them empty accounts,” Opakunle said.
