6 busted over GH¢46.1 million bank fraud

Six people who allegedly hacked into a bank and attempted to transfer GH¢46, 129,473 to eight individuals in different banks have been arrested by the police.

They are Hudu Abdul Mumuni, Emmanuel Adams, Moro Issah, Agbenu Fefous Chrissy, Sam Acquah, a former banker and owner of Adom Sika Savings and Loans Limited and James Taylor, a web developer.

Two others, Boateng Mends, and one identified as “Pussy Cat” are on the run and being sought for by the police.

The Director of the Cybercrime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Gustav Herbert Yankson told the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.

He said on July 2, 2020 a petition was received by the Unit from the management of the bank (name withheld) that someone remotely logged into the banking software and used the login credentials of some staff that were on leave to transfer the money to eight individuals of different banks.

He said during investigations on July 3, Mumuni was arrested at First Atlantic Bank at Ridge, Adams at Fidelity Bank at Madina, while Issah and Chrissy were apprehended at Dansoman when they showed up to withdraw the wire transferred from the bank.

Dr Yankson said on July 2, between 1:00am and 10:00am 13 fake SWIFT transactions with some initiated outside working hours were fraudulently made to the accounts of eight people.

The director said management of the bank detected the fraudulent activity and disabled the SWIFT to prevent further transfer, adding that all banks involved were quickly alerted to prevent withdrawals.

Dr Yankson said a forensic examination of the devices retrieved from suspects indicated that Mends and Pussy Cat were part of the syndicate.

He said the suspects were currently on police enquiry bail whiles investigations were ongoing.

The director called on banks to adhere to the Bank of Ghana cyber security directives, stating that within the last four months the unit has recorded some crimes against the banks which were in the form of network and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) attacks.

He recommended that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) ensured that the cyber security directives are enforced.

Dr Yankson called on banks to install Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) to monitor activities within and outside.