The Plateau State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Jonathan Bitrus, for allegedly defrauding a Point of Sale (POS) operator of N1.55 million at Terminus Market in Jos.
According to the police, the victim, Josephine Morolayo, narrated that the suspect visited her POS stand at Terminus Market under the pretext of checking his account balance before requesting a withdrawal of N1.95 million. She subsequently handed over the machine to him to input his PIN.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the police said the operator gave the suspect N1.55 million in cash and asked him to wait for the balance of N400,000 until her employer returned.
However, upon the employer’s arrival, it was discovered that the receipt on the machine was from a previous transaction, indicating that the suspect had cancelled the transaction after gaining access to the device.
During interrogation, Bitrus reportedly confessed to the crime, explaining that he accessed the victim’s transaction history and used details of a previous N1.95 million transaction to deceive her, despite having insufficient funds in his account.
The police further disclosed that the suspect admitted using the stolen money to purchase an iPhone 13 Pro and clothing materials.
The command stated that the suspect is currently in custody and will be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
Condemning the act, the police urged members of the public to remain vigilant and always verify financial transactions before releasing cash.
The command also reaffirmed its commitment to tackling financial crimes across Plateau State.
