Assin Fosu District Court Judge, Abdul Majid Iliasu, has disclosed how suspected mobile money (MoMo) fraudsters attempted to deceive him shortly after he had sentenced a person for a similar offence.
The judge said the incident happened as he was leaving the court after delivering the sentence in a MoMo-related case.
According to him, he received a call from an unknown person who claimed to have mistakenly transferred money into his account. The caller then asked him to return the supposed funds.
Shortly after the call, the judge received a text message purportedly from a telecommunications service, apparently confirming that the money had been transferred to his account.
However, Judge Iliasu said he became suspicious and carried out further checks. He subsequently realised that no such transaction had taken place and that the message was part of an attempted fraud.
He described the incident as a familiar tactic used by MoMo fraudsters to convince unsuspecting victims that they have received money and should send it back.
Judge Iliasu said the attempted scam demonstrated that fraudsters could target anyone, regardless of their position or status in society.
He made the disclosure while presiding over a kidnapping case involving four suspects accused of abducting 30-year-old Bismark Amoh.
The victim was reportedly held in Kumasi between Sunday, September 6, and Friday, September 11, in connection with an alleged MoMo fraud case.
One of the suspects standing trial in the kidnapping case is also said to be facing allegations relating to MoMo fraud.
Judge Iliasu noted that the sentence imposed in the earlier fraud case was intended to serve as a deterrent to others involved in similar activities.
He expressed concern about what he described as the growing incidence of electronic transaction-related crimes in the Assin Fosu area.
The judge consequently called on the Ghana Police Service and relevant cybersecurity authorities to intensify efforts to track down individuals involved in MoMo fraud and ensure that offenders are brought before the law.
He urged the public to remain vigilant and independently verify suspected transactions before responding to calls or messages requesting the return of money.
