Three convicted for defrauding trader of GH¢38,450 through fake MoMo transaction

The Assin Fosu District Court has convicted three young men for defrauding a 26-year-old trader of GH¢38,450 through a fraudulent electronic money transaction.

The convicts, 24-year-old footballers Francis Appiah and Emmanuel Oteng, alias Flow Delli, and 21-year-old Emmanuel Antwi, are all residents of Assin Breku in the Central Region.

The court, presided over by His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu, ordered the three men to refund the full amount taken from the complainant, Shalean Stella Bamfo.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on July 21, 2026, when Appiah contacted Bamfo and falsely claimed that he had mistakenly transferred money to her.

He allegedly kept the trader engaged in a lengthy conversation before directing her to a nearby mobile money merchant.

The prosecution said the victim was subsequently deceived into transferring GH¢38,450 through e-cash to three MTN numbers registered in the names of Saar Hassana, Rebecca Bosiako Antwi and Sarah Gyeti Arthur.

Investigators told the court that Appiah later transferred GH¢6,290 to Antwi as his share of the proceeds.

The complainant later realised that she had been deceived and reported the matter to the Central North Regional Police Cybercrime Unit.

Following investigations involving telecommunications companies, intelligence gathered by the police and a court order, the three suspects were arrested at a hideout in Assin Breku.

The court was also informed that one of the accused admitted to the offence in a caution statement.

After their conviction, the three men refunded the entire GH¢38,450 to the complainant.

In his ruling, His Worship Abdul Majid Iliasu took into consideration the fact that the convicts were first-time offenders.

However, he warned them against returning to criminal activities, stressing that they could face imprisonment if they were arrested again for engaging in criminal conduct.

The judge urged the convicts to abandon fraudulent activities and pursue legitimate means of earning a living.

The court also commended the Central North Regional Police Cybercrime Unit for its work in investigating and combating cyber-related crimes in the region.

The case highlights the growing need for public vigilance when dealing with unsolicited mobile money claims, particularly requests involving alleged mistaken transfers and instructions to send money to third-party accounts.