Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Seven people have been arrested for allegedly defrauding more than 5 billion shillings through Kampala’s online banking system.
The suspects have been identified as Fred Sitakyange, Ephraim Bagambe, Allan Juuko, Bairon Ndyamuhaki, Peter Katumba, Erasmus Mutambi and Ronald Bashijja. They were recovered in separate intelligence operations on Wednesday and Thursday at the Mutaasa-Kafeero arcade, the E-Tower building and the Cooper-Complex in Kampala, following reports of a group of people. who fraudulently drew money from various accounts.
A detective who was part of the operations told Uganda Radio Network that suspects often call targeted victims posing as employees of telecommunications companies who wish to upgrade customers’ SIM cards for better performance.
In the process, they trick them into freeing their passwords and then hack into the online banking system.
“They are fraudsters, who specialize in the use of computers and banking systems. They create stories that they are working with the telecom company, and sadly so many Ugandans succumb and give them all the information they ask for, the officer said.
Some of the victims who fell prey to such antics say they had never subscribed to any online banking service, but their money was withdrawn through the same platforms. But police say fraudsters use the information they get to manipulate phones and access other services, including signing up for online banking, in case the owner of the phone is not registered. .
Sometimes they steal the phone and manipulate the system until they are able to withdraw money from the owner’s bank account. Police also recovered hundreds of phones and computers that were used to conduct the transactions.
Police say more than 800 million shillings from various Equity Bank accounts were stolen this month and several other banks together reported thefts amounting to five billion shillings in the past three months. .
“We have recorded other cases of other banks losing money, between 3 and 7 billion shillings using the same method by these fraudsters. We are currently looking for other suspects still at large, said Charles Twine, spokesperson for the Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID, and called on banks to take tough and dreadful measures to protect people’s money.
Twine notes that the suspects have recorded statements as part of the investigations and will appear in court for fraud. He says the police have created strong teams to find and apprehend these criminals.
In May this year, four people were arrested for attempting to steal 43 million shillings from General Salim Saleh’s account at Stanbic Bank Uganda. The suspects ; Isima Katende, Mawejje Yahaya, Mukasa Tukiko and Steven Ssemwogere allegedly hacked General Saleh’s email account and expressly instructed the bank manager to make the payment to certain phone numbers.
