Emmanuel Dawson, a 33-year-old taxi driver hailing from Kasoa Opeikuma in the Central Region, has been apprehended by the Kasoa District Police Command for his suspected involvement in a series of mobile money fraud cases.
According to Jacob Kubi, a reporter with Accra-based United Television (UTV), Emmanuel Dawson is accused of targeting and robbing individuals who are new to the mobile money vendor business. Kubi explained that the modus operandi of the accused involves monitoring the activities of new mobile money vendors and then engaging them in fraudulent transactions.
Kubi provided further insights into Dawson’s alleged criminal activities, stating, “He is a taxi driver and a mobile money fraudster. He usually observes how you conduct your business and subsequently approaches you for transactions. He will request to send a certain amount to a particular phone number, but once the transaction is completed, he claims that the recipient’s number is incorrect and flees.”
The reporter added that this scheme had been employed against 15 individuals who fell victim to the fraud. Allegedly, these victims promptly reported their ordeals to the Kasoa Police.
Dawson’s arrest came about after an attempted robbery at the Kasoa New Market involving another mobile money vendor. According to Kubi, three days prior to his arrest, Dawson visited the Kasoa New Market with the intention of defrauding a mobile money vendor. In this instance, he informed a young lady working as a mobile money vendor that he needed to transfer an amount of GH¢5,000 (50 million old cedis) but insisted on dealing directly with her boss, requesting her boss’s phone number.
Dawson allegedly swiftly saved the contact information of the vendor’s boss and used the boss’s WhatsApp profile picture as his own. He then left the scene and proceeded to call the vendor, posing as her boss. He instructed her to send money to the new contact number, claiming he was not in the vicinity.
The vendor, without verifying the number, immediately complied and sent the money as instructed. It was at this point that the actual boss arrived at the scene. Realizing what had occurred, the accused attempted to flee but was apprehended after the mobile money shop owner and the vendor raised an alarm, accusing him of theft.
Emmanuel Dawson is currently undergoing trial at the Kasoa Akweley District Court. He has yet to fulfill the bail conditions, which include a bail sum of GH¢20,000 and the provision of two plots of land.
The UTV reporter noted, “As I speak, no one has come forward to post bail for him (Emmanuel Dawson). This implies that if no one comes forward expeditiously to post bail, he will remain in police custody until November 6, 2023.”
