By Sandra Kenneth
A young woman has been apprehended by local residents and traders in the Choba area of Port Harcourt for allegedly defrauding female business owners through fake bank transfer alerts.
The suspect, whose identity has not yet been released by security officials, was caught following growing complaints from small business operators in the university town who reported falling victim to fraudulent digital payment scams.
According to witnesses, the suspect had frequented several shops managed by women, making purchases and presenting fabricated payment receipts or delayed transaction alerts on her mobile device as evidence of payment before leaving with the goods.
Her alleged scheme came to an end when an alert shopkeeper noticed the funds failed to reflect in her bank account and raised an alarm, leading to the woman’s apprehension by nearby traders.
Incidents of fake transfer fraud have reportedly been on the rise across commercial hubs in Rivers State, prompting local trade associations to urge vendors to verify receipt of funds via banking applications or direct SMS notifications before releasing merchandise to customers.
