Notorious ATM card snatcher, fraudster in Police net

The police have disclosed the arrest of a notorious  ATM  snatcher and fraudster in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, in a statement on Tuesday, indicated that the suspect, Ojo Amos, 38, of Agbara-Otor, Ughelli North LGA, specialises in stealing ATM cards from unsuspecting victims.

The PPRO narrated: “On 2/11/2021 at about 1300hrs, upon a tip-off that the suspect was seen in a POS Stand located beside a bank in Ozoro branch, the DPO Ozoro Division deployed operatives who swung into action in conjunction with the chairman of Olotu Vigilante in Ozoro.

“They were deployed to the scene and arrested the suspect. The Police recovered 33 ATM cards and cash in the sum of N50,000 from him.”

The PPRO added that Ojo Amos admitted he stole one ATM card from Rufai Abdulahi at a bank in Kwale and fled with it; and thereafter, withdrew N250,000 from the man’s bank account.

The PPRO maintained that, “preliminary investigations later revealed that the suspect usually stays behind his victims at the ATM machine, waiting and targeting people who he feels are not too educated, old women/children; and once he notices that they are having problem operating the ATM machine, he moves closer to them pretending to be a bank staff trying to help them, and in the process he swaps the ATM card.”

The suspect, according to the police, also said he watches the victims enter their ATM pins, memorizing them, then, using a POS stand or ATM machine to empty their bank accounts after swapping ATM cards.

Ojo Amos admitted he has been in the theft business in the past four years.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, had encouraged residents of the state to learn from the criminal cases regularly reported by the Command and to be vigilant when using their ATM cards. The CP enjoined ATYM users in the state that only uniform bank staff are allowed to assist them when the need arises.