Operatives of the Yobe State Command of the Nigeria Police Force have apprehended three suspected ATM fraudsters.
Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed this in a statement released on Saturday, indicating that the arrests marked a significant breakthrough in its fight against cybercrime and related offenses in the state.
“On December 6, 2024, the State Intelligence Department (SID) apprehended three suspects – Sani Kasim, 35, Nura Umaru, 24, and Umar Suleman, 22 – for their involvement in a criminal syndicate that targeted ATM users in the state”, DSP Abdulkarim said.
According to him, the suspects, who confessed to the crime, used clever tactics to trick unsuspecting bank customers into revealing their PIN numbers while using ATMs.
“They would offer to assist the bank customers, then swap their ATM cards and withdraw cash from their accounts”, he added.
The PPRO said items recovered from the suspects include: 47 ATM cards, 4 cellphones, and a Mercedes Benz vehicle.
“Six victims, including a visually impaired person who lost N181,550 have identified the suspects”, he said.