Online fraudster arrested

Source: Daily Graphic Ghana  -  A 24-year-old man who is believed to have used the online trading platform, Tonaton.com, to defraud a businessman of GHC90,000 has been arrested at Mallam in Accra.

The suspect, Kojo Appiah, unemployed, and his two accomplices identified as Alex Boakye, alias Old Man, and Prince Kwabena Amaning, are said to have swindled the businessman at Michel Camp, near Tema.

Appiah and his friends allegedly duped the businessman under the pretext of selling a 2013 Toyota Highlander to him but absconded with the money. His two accomplices are currently at large.

Car on Tonaton.com

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Odorkor District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Abraham Acquaye, said on April 24, 2015 at Michel Camp, the businessman (name withheld) saw the 2013 Toyota Highlander on Tonaton.com.

The businessman, Mr Acquaye said, called the phone numbers advertised along with a picture of the car, and Appiah, who answered the call, identified himself as an agent contracted to sell the car.

The two later arranged to meet at Odorkor to negotiate the price, and at the scheduled time, Appiah arrived with Amaning.

After they agreed on GHC90,000, Appiah told the businessman that the vehicle was at a fuel filling station at Michel Camp.

Payment to a sick man

“On arrival at the fuel filling station at Michel Camp, Appiah showed the businessman the car and pretended to make a phone call. And later, he told the businessman that the owner of the car, Boakye, was on admission at Crystal Clinic which was close by, and that he wanted the money to be paid to him at the clinic,” he said.

At the clinic, Mr Acquaye said the businessman paid the amount to Boakye, while he was on his sick bed.

After the payment was done, he said the businessman was issued with a receipt, car keys and documents which later turned out to be fake.

He said Appiah went back to the fuel station with the businessman but while the businessman was struggling to open the car with the fake key, Appiah jumped on a waiting motorbike and sped off.

“When the complainant realised that he had been duped and rushed to the clinic hoping to see Boakye still on his sick bed he had also disappeared and the staff at the clinic had no clue about his whereabouts.”

A report was lodged with the police and while the matter was being investigated, the police had a tip-off that Appiah was hiding at Mallam. He was apprehended and taken to the Odorkor Police Station.

During interrogation, Appiah mentioned Boakye and Amaning as his accomplices but could not lead the police to arrest them.