IGP David Asante-Apeatu
INFORMATION AVAILABLE to DAILY GUIDE indicates that fraudsters have adopted a new strategy for defrauding unsuspecting people of huge sums of money under the pretext of footing medical bills of their wards in school.
The criminals call parents, especially those whose wards are in Senior High Schools (SHS), via cell phone to inform them that their ward is seriously ill and has been rushed to a particular hospital for immediate treatment so they have to send an amount of money through mobile money transfer to pay for emergency medical expenses.
Parents, out of fear and eager to save the life of their children, dole out the money to the scammers before contacting the school authorities or rush to the school only to find out that nothing of the sort has happened.
Many people had fallen victim to the new modus of fraud which is gaining grounds across the country.
A victim told DAILY GUIDE that “I was at home when I received a distress call from a strange number informing me that my child is seriously sick and has been rushed to a hospital. The caller mentioned my son’s full name and further told me that my child is on oxygen and they need some money to pay for more oxygen and buy some drugs else he might not make it.
“The caller who introduced himself as a teacher of the school said the hospital is demanding GH?5,000 deposit before giving him full treatment. I don’t have that amount immediately but mobilised some GH?3,000 and sent it to the person before rushing to the school the next day.
“I got there and shockingly, my son was strong and healthy. I enquired only to be told that nobody called me from the school and that it was a new form of scam.”
Another victim narrated his ordeal that: “The caller mentioned my name and that of my child before introducing himself as a teacher in my daughter’s school at Keta in the Volta Region.”
“He frightened me that my daughter needs urgent surgery after collapsing in the dormitory and was rushed to the hospital. They asked of GH?2, 000 but I got GH?1,800 and sent it to them. I called the head teacher the next morning only to be told it was not true. I tried several times to call the number and it was not going through. The police must act immediately to deal with this people.”
He advised parents to ensure they have the contact numbers of their ward’s school authorities and contact them in case of any of such information before sending money in case it is needed.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema