Police operatives in Rivers State have arrested a 35-year-old woman, Blessing Oleru, for allegedly swapping a bank customer’s ATM card and withdrawing ₦523,600 from his account.
In a statement on Tuesday, the state police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed Oleru’s arrest in Port Harcourt following a report from the victim.
According to the police, the incident occurred on November 26, 2024, when the victim attempted to withdraw cash from an ATM along the Garrison axis in Port Harcourt.
The machine malfunctioned, and Oleru, who was standing nearby pretending to carry out a transaction, offered to assist but instead swapped the victim’s debit card.
Unaware of the switch, the victim left the ATM but soon began receiving debit alerts totaling ₦523,600.
He then reported the fraud at the Olu-Obasanjo Police Station.
“Following a coordinated intelligence operation, police operatives arrested Oleru on February 5, 2025. During interrogation, she confessed to the crime, and a Moniepoint Point of Sale (PoS) machine was recovered from her possession,” the statement read.
The police further stated that investigations were ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate involved in similar fraudulent activities.
