Mr Raymond Terver, Abuja-based disc jockey known as DJ Ice, has been apprehended by the police for allegedly making fraudulent purchases using fake bank alerts.
The suspect was accused of buying expensive drinks and other goods with fake alerts and then selling them through a second party to hide his involvement.
DJ Ice’s fraudulent activities were exposed after he used a fake alert to purchase drinks from a hotel in August.
While speaking on the matter in Abuja on Tuesday, the spokesman of the Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, explained that the suspect had been engaged in the crime since June 2024, amassing over ₦8 million through the scheme. He reportedly used the proceeds to buy DJ equipment.
The police have warned the public to be cautious of such fraudulent schemes, as they continue investigations to unravel more details about the suspect’s operations.
Adejobi said, “The suspect was arrested in August 2024 for purchasing goods using fake payment alerts. He admitted to starting this scheme in June 2024, ordering expensive drinks, particularly Hennessy XO, from the ‘For You’ Hotel and Restaurant in Jabi, Abuja.
“He would send fake payment receipts via WhatsApp, arrange for a dispatch rider to collect the drinks, and then send them through intermediaries to conceal his identity.
“Terver revealed he generated the fake alerts using the Paint app on his computer.
“The restaurant noticed discrepancies in their inventory and reported the issue to the IRT, which led to his arrest. After a thorough investigation, he confessed to making over ₦8 million from this fraud, which he used to buy DJ equipment.”
Also addressing newsmen, DJ Ice said he turned to crime because of the hardship in the country.
He said, “The reason I decided to go down this path is because of the hardship we are facing. I was eager to make money and acquire DJ equipment for myself. I have been in this line of business for up to 15 years, and throughout that time, I have been looking for ways to earn money and get equipment.
“I bought the equipment for about ₦5 million. I had not started using it before I was arrested. I bought it in August. I feel very sorry for myself.”
Narrating how he perpetrated the crime, he said, “I found the restaurant through Google, contacted them, and if they had the goods, particularly liquor, they confirmed it. I then fabricated a receipt on my computer using the Paint app, sent it to them as proof of payment, and arranged for a dispatch rider to collect the goods.
“I said I would send a dispatch rider to pick it up, and they agreed. I sent the rider, who collected the goods. That is how I carried out the scheme.”