Police Officer Pays Back Victim's GHC 1500 After Failed Scam

One of the victims who was nearly duped by a female police officer after she managed to convince him of facilitating the recruitment of his younger brother into the police service, has been narrating his story to PeaceFM.

The victim, who did not disclose his identity (for security reasons), said he got to know about the fake recruitment exercise through his brother in-law.

According to him, his in-law informed him about “a female police officer by name Ruth Agyiri in Koforidua whose closeness to her commander could secure his younger brother a place in the service.”  He further revealed that after getting to know the police commander via phone, he was told to make a deposit of GHC 2,000 on behalf of his brother.

The victim stated that on 6th November, 2014, he paid half of what was demanded but constantly received reminders from the officer to bring the rest of the money. As a result of the demands, he stated that he personally went to Koforidua on the 9th of the same month to plead for more time.

When i got there I asked the commander where his station is at but he refused to disclose it to me. Despite his unwillingness to show me his station, i paid GHC 500 and he gave me a police prospectus”, he disclosed.

After buying all the items listed on the prospectus, the victim revealed that it became hard for him to reach the police commander on phone. “And anytime i got the chance to speak to him, he gave me excuses which were quite flimsy. At first i thought he was acting like that because I hadn’t paid him the remainder of the money being GHC 500. For this reason, I promised him that as soon as my brother starts the police training, i will pay him the rest of the money”, he stated.

He recounted that overtime, the police commander switched off his cell phone and this led the victim to personally conduct an investigation. “Through my investigations, i got to know where he had been stationed but i didn’t know his name as at that time. But i received an anonymous call from someone who demanded that we met at GCB for him to pay me back my money,” he said.

He was left with no option and met the anonymous caller at a place he suggested. “When i got there, the man told me that he had heard about the news and wanted to pay me back the money because of the lady officer involved. He took me to his house and gave me back my money,” the victim narrated.

Over 100 men and women who turned up at various Police training institutions on Saturday for recruitment later found out they had been duped by fraudsters.

The Police has come out to state that it is currently not embarking on any recruitment exercise and that when the appropriate time is due, there will communication in the media. “Any such information of reporting for training today is definitely the work of fraudsters,” a statement from Superintendent Cephas Arthur, Police Public Relations Officer said.