The Plateau State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old boy over an alleged Point of Sale (PoS) fraud involving ₦1.55 million at the Terminus Market, Jos, the state capital.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Alfred Alabo, identified the suspect as Jonathan Sambo Bitrus, a resident of Bauchi State.
The police noted that the incident was reported by a PoS operator, Josephine Morolayo, who alleged that the suspect visited her shop under the pretext of checking his account balance.
The statement explained that the suspect later requested a withdrawal of ₦1.95 million.
However, while processing the request, the operator handed over the PoS machine to him to enter his PIN.
After the transaction appeared successful, the operator gave him ₦1.55 million in cash and asked him to wait for the remaining ₦400,000 until her employer returned.
However, upon her boss’s arrival, it was discovered that the receipt in question was from an earlier transaction carried out before the suspect came to the shop.
By then, the suspect had already fled with the money.
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Police investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly accessed the transaction history on the PoS device and identified a previous transaction of ₦1.95 million.
He then requested the same amount to create the impression of a successful withdrawal.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly admitted to cancelling the transaction after receiving the cash.
He also confessed to spending the stolen funds on an iPhone 13 Pro and clothing items.
The police confirmed that the suspect remains in custody and will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
The command condemned the incident and advised residents to exercise caution when conducting financial transactions.
It also encouraged the public to report suspicious activities to nearby police stations or through designated emergency lines.
