The police has advised the public to beware of fraudsters who pose as police officers to extort money from relatives of ‘victims’ of accidents.

According to the police, the modus operandi of the syndicate behind the fraud was that they called their victim on phone, claiming that a relative of his or hers had run into a police vehicle.

The victim is then asked to send money to a mobile money account or risk his or her relative being processed for court.

The scam is said to be rampant on the Kasoa-Cape Coast road, as most of the reports mention Apam Junction as the location of the accident.

According to the Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur, given that most members of the public were gullible and feared court processes, they paid the money.

“They don’t even allow the victim of the scam to speak to their relative in question but, strangely, people fall for this,” he told the Daily Graphic.

Although he could not provide the number of people who had fallen victim to the scam, he said quite a number of them had been duped.

He said in the last five days, at least two people who had parted with GH¢2,500 had reported the incident to him personally, while some police stations had also received such complaints.

The fraudsters demand between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,500.

Be wary 

“Sometimes the victims bargain and bring the figure down, but others, out of fear for their relatives being locked up and the fact that the said amount includes repairs, just pay up,” he said.

But Supt Arthur advised the public to be wary and not to give in to such ploy.

“When any policeman calls you with such a demand, insist that he should send the suspect to the police station and you will come and deal with the issue. No policeman is authorised to collect money to settle motor traffic cases,” he added.

Source: graphic.com