Africa
Nigeria: Police nab man who disguises as ghost to defraud people
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from the Adamawa State Police Command have arrested a man, Muhammad Abubakar, a.k.a Malam Sabo, who disguises as ghost to defraud unsuspecting victims.
The police disclosed this in a press release issued on Tuesday, February 6.
According to the State Police Command, on February 5, 2024, it arrested a 59-year-old Malam Sabo for frequently defrauding members of the public.
The suspect is said to be a habitual fraudster who specializes in in ripping his victims off in a disguised manner.
The police stated that the suspect hides his identity, pretending to be a ghost while talking to his victims with different tones.
Malam Sabo will, at times, even change his voice to that of a woman or a child to dupe his victims.
He, recently, reportedly tricked and defrauded one Abba Bale of Demsawo of the sum of three hundred thousand.
Unable to bear the loss, Bale approached the police which eventually led to the arrest of Sabo.
He is presently aiding the police in their investigation while waiting for arraignment in the law court.
An observer noted that this sort of scam is ‘ingeniously unique’ away from the average scam known in Nigeria.
A scam is a dishonest scheme or fraud that aims to deceive someone and obtain money or personal information from them.
Unfortunately, some Nigerians have been involved in various types of scams, such as the Nigerian scam (also known as the 419 scam).
This is a form of advanced fee fraud that typically uses email to lure victims into sending money to a stranger in exchange for a larger sum or a valuable reward.
This scam is named after section 419 of the Nigerian legal code, which prohibits it.
A few examples of Nigerian scams are:
-
The prince scam
The prince scam is a case whereby the scammer claims to be a Nigerian prince or an exiled politician.
He claims he needs help to access a large amount of money that is trapped in an account due to political instability or the death of a relative.
-
The astronaut scam
This is a scam where the scammer claims that there is a Nigerian astronaut who has been stranded on a Soviet space station since 1990 and needs money to fund his return to earth.
-
The romance scam
In this scenario targeting mainly affluent ladies in developed countries, the scammer pretends to be interested in a romantic relationship with the victim.
He then asks for money for various reasons, such as travel expenses, medical emergencies, or taxes.
Generally, these scams are very common and can target anyone, regardless of their age, gender, or location.
According to experts, the best way to avoid them is to be cautious and skeptical of any unsolicited emails or messages that ask for money or personal information, especially if they sound too good to be true.
“If you receive such an email or message, do not reply, click on any links, or open any attachments.
“Instead, delete it or report it to the appropriate authorities,” an expert warns.
For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook