The Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters in Onikan-Lagos has cautioned against transactions of businesses on social media, stating that fraudsters were making use of that avenue to swindle unsuspecting persons.
The Command says those in the business of building materials are currently the ravenous targets of the fraudsters, a development the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the zone, Adeleke Adeyinka Bode, has received a series of petitions.
Making this known in a press release e-signed by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (ZPPRO), SP Hauwa Idris Adamu, she said, “This is to inform the general public, especially businessmen and women, on the illicit and fraudulent manner through which criminals operate, and their modus operandi.
According to her, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Adeleke Adeyinka Bode, had received a series of petitions concerning the trending dubious activities of cyber criminals, whose targets were businessmen and women, particularly those in the area of buying and selling building materials.
The ZPPRO explained that, since advertisement was the fastest means of reaching out to customers, business owners resort to placing such advertisements on various social media platforms, seeking potential buyers of their goods.
Investigations conducted by the command, according to Hauwa, revealed that “The criminals will contact dealers who advertised such goods, acting like genuine prospective buyers, and make orders for the products in large quantities.
In the same vein, the ZPPRO state, “They also act like genuine dealers to their prospective victims and give between 3% and 5% discount in order to entice the unsuspecting prospective victims”.
The statement further reads thus: “Upon indication of interests, the prospective buyers will be lured into making payments. Having made payments, the fraudsters will then instruct the dealer on the other hand to load the number of goods requested by the victim, on the pretext that payment will be made and confirmed on delivery before off-loading the goods.
“When it is confirmed that the goods have arrived at the destinations, the fraudsters then go incommunicado, while the drivers will be the ones having issues with the victims, who already made payment and have been expecting delivery of goods paid for.
“This is always done mostly on Fridays, to prevent any kind of banking system retrieval.
“Based on the above, the command is sending this to the general public as awareness; so, no one will fall victim to the antics of fraudsters, who pretend as business clients”.
The AIG has consequently sent a very strict warning to all criminal-minded groups or individuals, to relocate from the Zone, as they would not find it easy operating within the Zonal Command