By Pius Awunah
Suspected Fraudsters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs have devised a new strategy to lure unsuspecting victims to scam.
Our investigation reveals that the suspects use non-existent jobs as bait to lure their victims.
They paste posters of non-existent jobs at strategic places in the city centre and its environs- such as markets, parks,recreational areas, bus stops and other attractive areas where all kinds of jobs with salaries are advertised with contact phone numbers to attract the attention of passersby.
Once an unsuspecting applicant calls the phone numbers provided by the supposed employer, the prospective applicant would be asked to go to a given address and date for an interview.
At the venue of the supposed interview, other victims in their numbers,would be seen seated to be interviewed.
The suspects (organisers) of the interview will then play a video for the victims with a captivating topic or any other activity to engage the victims’ attention.
Thereafter, a group of well-dressed persons will emerge and, one after another, speak passionately about the prospects of the supposed job,all in a bid to convince the victims.
As if they had hypnotized the victims, the suspects would then proceed to introduce different kinds of products and ask the victims to register and pick up any of the products and market them within 2-6 months during which period, the victims would become a millionaire.
The suspected scammers will, at that point,display pictures of those who they claim have become millionaires as a result of marketing the products.
The displayed products go for N60,000, N70,000, N100,000, N150,000, N200,000 and above.
The victims are further told that the more they registered for the products to market,the more chances they stood to become millionaires.
As if under a spell, the victims will begin to scramble for the products while those without money will begin to make frantic calls to relations,friends and other sources to borrow money to register for the products to market and become millionaires.
The suspects are also, reportedly using radio stations in the city to lure their victims.
They use popular belts on some radio stations in the capital city to advertise how interested persons could become millionaires.
For instance, the suspects would advertise a non-existent event on a radio station where listeners would be told to indicate by typing YES to a given phone number for a fee,whereas it is a scam.
The FCT Police Command’s spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP),Josephine Adeh told our reporter over the phone that the issue would be investigated with a view to bringing the culprits to book.
