The Kwara State Police Command has raised the alarm over increasing cases of fraudulent schemes targeting Point-of-Sale operators, warning that unsuspecting agents risk being drawn into illicit financial activities.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Kwara Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi.
The Command said,” The Kwara State Police Command wishes to draw the attention of members of the public, particularly Point-of-Sale (POS) operators and financial service providers, to a growing trend of sophisticated fraud schemes being perpetrated by criminal elements suspected to be operating across state lines.”
According to the command, intelligence reports indicate that fraudsters approach POS operators with large financial transactions, often running into millions of naira, under the guise of legitimate transfers.
The statement noted,” Some individuals from outside the State are engaging POS agents in transactions involving large sums of money… In most cases, these transactions are processed with the expectation of small commissions or service charges, making POS operators unknowingly complicit in illicit financial activities.”
The Command further disclosed that affected operators are sometimes later invited or arrested by security agencies from other jurisdictions when the transactions are traced to criminal networks.
“Such POS agents are sometimes visited by law enforcement authorities from other jurisdictions for interrogation and arrest, with demands to account for the whereabouts of the supposed sender or recipient of the funds, who are often untraceable criminal actors,” the statement added.
In response, the Commissioner of Police advised operators to exercise caution when handling suspicious or unusually large transactions, especially those involving unfamiliar customers.
“Operators are hereby directed to promptly report any transaction involving significant sums of money to the nearest Police Station or security agency before completion or disbursement,” the Command said.
