The police command in Kwara has raised the alarm over the proliferation of fraudulent schemes targeting point-of-sale operators.

The command gave the warning in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on Monday.

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“‎The Kwara state police command wishes to draw the attention of members of the public, particularly point-of-sale operators and financial service providers, to a growing trend of sophisticated fraud schemes being perpetrated by criminal elements suspected to be operating across state lines,” the statement said. 

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The police stated that some individuals from outside Kwara were engaging POS agents in transactions involving large sums of money, often running into millions of naira, under the guise of money transfers. 

“In most cases, these transactions are processed with the expectation of small commissions or service charges, making POS operators unknowingly complicit in illicit financial activities,” the command said.

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It added, “Such POS agents are sometimes visited by law enforcement authorities from other jurisdictions for interrogation and arrest, with demands to account for the whereabouts of the supposed sender or recipient of the funds, who are often untraceable criminal actors.” 

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Police commissioner Ojo Adekimi advised all POS operators and financial service providers to exercise extreme caution when handling “unusually” large transactions, especially those involving unfamiliar customers or suspicious circumstances.

‎”‎Operators are hereby directed to promptly report any transaction involving significant sums of money to the nearest police station or security agency before completion or disbursement, to enable proper verification of the source and legitimacy of such funds,” the command stated.