Install CCTV at your vending points – Police to MoMo operators

The Ghana Police Service has urged mobile money vendors across the country to install CCTV cameras at their vending points.

This, the police says, will help identify and arrest criminals who rob mobile money operators.

It says the presence of these cameras would also help prevent theft because criminals do not want to be recorded and identified after they perpetrate their acts.

The urge comes after several mobile money vendors across the country have been robbed of their monies and some occasions killed.

The most recent incidents were recorded at Bantama in the Ashanti region and Klagon in the Greater Accra region involving the theft of GHC200k and GhC2k respectively at gunpoint.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service Superintendent Sheila Abayie-Buckman said “where you even set up your business is very important. Set up your shop so that you don’t put yourself and that of your customers at risk of being attacked.”

She urged mobile money vendors to know their customers.

“You see, you may not always know all your customers. So, when you are not sure who the customer is, limit the amount of cash you would declare as having on you. For instance, if somebody comes to you to ask to withdraw saw GHC1,000 or GHC3,000 and you have no idea who the person is you should be careful not to give that amount.”

She went on “in fact, you could even declare that your entire capital is not even up to that much. So, if the person wants to withdraw say GHC100 or less or just a minimum amount of money that one you can give it to them.”

She explained that “because from previous cases that have been investigated, we have noticed that sometimes they just come to ask questions, and then they get to know how much money you have on you or may have on your phone.”

“So, it is important that mobile money vendors get to know their customers, and when they do not know they should be careful how much money they declare to have in their custody or even on their phones to be able to help with that transaction,” she insisted.

Superintendent Abayie-Buckman stressed that “criminals don’t want to be identified so they are arrested. So, when they know there’s a possibility of being identified and arrested, they do attack.”

‘So, mobile money vendors can install CCTV at their business centers to help record criminals and it actually helps to ward off criminals,” she added.