Two arrested over ATM fraud

Two friends are currently in the cells of the Tema Newtown Police Station for allegedly using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card which is not theirs to withdraw an amount of money from a bank in the port city.

Isaac Tetteh, 22, and Abraham Boffah, 27 – both labourers residing at Awudum, a suburb of Tema Newtown - were said to have stolen the ATM card of their friend and managed to withdraw an amount of Ghc2,100 from the bank account of their friend.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Herbert Sosu, Crime Officer of the area’s police station, intimated that during last year’s Christmas period, the owner of the ATM card who shares the same room with Isaac, searched thoroughly for the card but could not find it.

ASP Herbert Sosu indicated that Isaac, who purportedly stole the card from his roommate’s wallet, managed to pick the personal identification number (PIN) of the card from the mobile phone of his roommate.

Later, he contacted his accomplice, Boffah, and together they proceeded to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) where they succeeded in withdrawing the Ghc2,100 on different occasions.

The crime officer said the owner of the card, who used a withdrawal form to withdraw some money for the Christmas, noticed that his account was empty and quickly alerted the bank authorities.

On January 11, 2014, intelligence led to the identity of Isaac as the person who had emptied the account and was quickly arrested after a report had been made to the Tema Newtown police.

During police interrogations Isaac was said to have mentioned Boffah as his accomplice with whom he shared the money, and was also apprehended.

Both suspects were said to have admitted to the offence and would be arraigned before court soon.