By Adenike Lawal
A 32-year-old businessman, Ibrahim Mahmud, has been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command for allegedly masterminding a sophisticated Point of Sale (POS) fraud scheme, stealing ₦1 million from an unsuspecting operator in Karshi, Abuja.
Mahmud, a Civil Engineering graduate, was apprehended after months of investigation into a December incident where he swapped a POS machine at a retail shop owned by Odo Hilary.
Using advanced hacking tools, he reportedly gained unauthorized access to Odo’s financial records, transferring the stolen funds before the fraud was detected.
Authorities traced half of the money to Mahmud’s associate, Abdulsalam Abdulsamad, who has also been arrested for money laundering.
Further forensic analysis revealed that Mahmud had used a notorious hacking tool, ‘Ghost App,’ to extract sensitive banking credentials from multiple POS devices across the city.
Initially denying the allegations, Mahmud confessed after overwhelming evidence linked him to the crime. He admitted to repeatedly targeting POS vendors using similar tactics.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has assured business owners that law enforcement is intensifying efforts to crack down on digital fraudsters, urging POS operators to stay vigilant and implement stricter security measures to prevent future scams.
