From Fred Ezeh and Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
No one would doubt that 21st century technology has significantly improved life and living. It has replaced inefficiency and erratic services with precision, speed and quick service delivery.
Different computer software have been developed and deployed to transform businesses and corporate service delivery. The effects of sophisticated software could be seen and felt in aviation, maritime, education, healthcare delivery system, banking services and other financial transactions.
It has drastically reduced human-to-human interface and eliminated barriers in business and other corporate engagements. One of the consequences is job loss some cases, but created huge opportunities in other cases.
Unfortunately, some “smart people” have taken the advantage of identified lapses and shortcomings in technology usage to unleash terror and misery on Nigerians. Conventional armed robbers were hitherto known for blocking the highways and invading people’s homes and privacies to dispossess them of cash and other valuable items. But otherwise is the case with 21st century robbery.
These men of underworld have obviously gone digital. They have penetrated the spaces using them negatively to unleash terror and penury on the people.
These people have invaded Abuja and the residents are feeling the heat. They are taking advantage of innocent and gullible residents. Their targets are bank customers and women. They have either signed pact with some taxi operators or use their private cars for their “evil” trade.
Testimonies and experiences from victims also suggest that these digital robbers know one another. As part of their modus operandi, they assign responsibilities.
Operational period is also assigned for easy accomplishment of task. While some hunt in the day, others put their skills to use at night. Some also choose to operate at weekends.
Being digital robbers, they have taken mastery of all online banking platforms and their lapses. They have also acquainted themselves with the use of Point of Sale (POS) machine, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Mobile Applications, Cash Transfer Codes (USSD) and other online banking platforms.
They seem to have studied the careless characters and attitudes of Abuja residents particularly females. They take advantage of that to perpetrate their evil activities.
Some of them operate using POS, ATM, USSD cash transfer code, bank mobile applications, physical dispossession and other ways just to dispossess people of their belongings.
Mobile APPs
Our correspondent discovered that the digital robbers also rob bank customers through the use of mobile applications, which have received huge acceptability from bank customers. The mobile apps are also compatible for any kind of android phones and devices.
Amarachi Orjiude, a journalist, narrated her sad experience: “A couple of weeks ago, after Sunday service, I decided to go and pick up some groceries from a shop in Lugbe. After the shopping, I decided to take a cab going to Karamajiji village. Unknown to me, the people in the cab were kidnappers. There were two men and a woman with a kid sitting at the back of the car. I joined them.
“In front of the car were the driver and another passenger. We drove just a few kilometres and the lady alighted with the child. Few kilometres further, the passenger in front suddenly pushed his seat backwards and trapped my legs. Before I could say jack, the man sitting next to me started raining blows on my face.
“He pressed my head down below the windscreen, apparently to shield me from being seen by passers-by, because I was sitting by the window. Next, they started threatening to take me to Kaduna for ritual.
“They asked for my ID card and occupation. Then, they began to search my bag and took my two phones, ATM cards and pins. They drove to a lonely place and parked the car. One of them took the ATM card to a POS and withdrew all the money in my account.
“When he returned, they further threatened to keep me until I called someone to pay them another 200k as ransom. I had to call my fiance who eventually paid 200k into my account which they withdrew using my ATM card that was with me.
“After driving round Abuja for about three hours, they finally took me to a lonely road somewhere in Gwarimpa and dropped me off. My fiance made calls to my bank to block my accounts but they were faster. By the time I was able to check my balance they had already taken all the money. It was the most traumatising experience of my life. Up till now I still have bad dreams from the ordeal.”
Kasie and his girlfriend felt victims at Utako. He explained: “It was after a weekend outing few months ago, at early hours of Saturday that I stopped a green coloured taxi to take me to my house in Wuye. I can vividly remember that it was saloon golf car and I saw only the driver inside the car when I stopped the taxi.
“Just few minutes into the ride, an arm stretched from my behind and pointed a pistol gun on my head. It was a female hand. Immediately I knew we were under siege. From all indications, the accomplices were inside the boot of the car.
“She came out midway and joined the driver in the action. The driver was asked to park at an isolated place. They ransacked my girlfriend’s bag and got no reasonable money. Same was the case with me.
“They collected our phones and moved straight to our bank mobile app which was conspicuously displayed on the phone. Step by step, they opened it and requested for our PINs, which we were forced to disclose. That was how they emptied our accounts.”
Point of Sale (POS)
Some victims of the POS robbery also testified. Eti Okon, a real estate agent was a victim alongside her colleague, Mercy John: “My colleague and I closed quite late from work that fateful day last year and took an ‘along” taxi from Apo bus stop going to Kubwa.
“Immediately we entered the vehicle, the man sitting by my right asked what was in my bag. Before I could respond he punched my right eye fiercely and immediately snatched the bag from me.
“I could notice that my colleague was also having a scuffle with the person sitting next to her. They took our phones and forced us to unlock them at gunpoint.
“They checked our messages to see alert. They forced us to also unlock our bank mobile apps. I had two mobile apps and one ATM card. I was shocked when I saw them brought out a POS machine. They made me transfer the money in one of my mobile apps to the one that had an ATM card. That was how they cleared my account of 450,000.
“My colleague’s accounts were also cleared using her ATM. They took our phones and the office laptop I was carrying to finish some work at home because it was weekend. They dropped us off somewhere along the Kubwa-Gwarinpa Expressway and zoomed off. If not for a Good Samaritan who eventually drove us home, we would have been stranded that night. It was indeed a horrible experience.”
Another victim, Grace said: “My friend and I were at around Area One roundabout at that cloudy fateful evening, trying to get a cab to Lokogoma. People were rushing home to escape the rain.
“Suddenly, a sky blue Toyota Camry, aka “Muscle”, pulled off and offered to assist us to our destination. We gladly jumped in with the hope that we have found help. But otherwise became the case.
“Only the driver and two other guys were inside the car. They were friendly and nice initially, but became hostile shortly before Galadimawa roundabout. Suddenly, their countenance changed totally. At gunpoint, they emptied our handbags.
“They couldn’t find much cash on us. But our ATM cards were boldly displayed in our purse. They giggled and quickly brought out portable POS machine and quietly demanded for our ATM PINs. It was like Nollywood movie to me.
“I was so lucky that day, but otherwise was the case with my friend. The ATM card with me had only N87,000 in it. But my friend said she had over N300,000 in her own. They gladly transferred all our money and took two of our phones. It was a horrible experience that could better be imagined.”
Weekend ATM
The digital robbers have also taken advantage of the weekends to rob isolated areas in Abuja. Digital robbers take advantage of weekends to rip people off their treasures.
The operational system suggests that they disguise as customers and move round isolated ATM points in different parts of Abuja, dispossessing bank customers of their money.
A victim, Martinez, told the story of how the digital robbers met him at a lonely ATM point of one of the commercial banks in Garki 2, Abuja: “I was, innocently, using the ATM that Friday night when the guy came close with a cheerful face.
“He quietly raised his shirts exposing a pistol gun to me. He asked me to cooperate so the experience could be peaceful. I complied because that was the only option I had.
“He immediately terminated my transaction and requested for my PIN. He made sure he confirmed in the machine before leaving using the waiting vehicle strategically positioned in front of the ATM.
“All I received throughout that weekend was debit alert. The alert came in torrents as he made the withdrawal. I was helpless and could not reach the bank because it was weekend. That was how I lost my money.
“When I visited the bank the following Monday morning, they blamed me for not blocking the account immediately. I told them I had no idea how to do it outside the banking hall. I ended getting the code to dial in case of similar experience.”
USSD code (Transfer code)
A student from University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plangnan Musa, said of her experience with USSD: “I joined the taxi at about 7:30am heading to my office at Wuse 2 from Gwarimpa bus stop. There were three passengers in the bus including a pregnant woman, which I suspected could be carrying fake pregnancy.
“Few minutes into the ride, I realised that I was in a wrong vehicle. At gunpoint, they took my bag, phone and other belongings. I had few days before uninstalled my mobile app.
“At gunpoint, they forced me to input my PIN for USSD cash transfer code. I complied with the instructions. That was how they took N60,000 in my account using the USSD cash transfer code. I am yet to recover from that trauma.”
A banker, Lukman, advised customers with mobile apps on their phones to always freeze or hide them and unfreeze when necessary.