The National Lottery Authority (NLA), in collaboration with the Volta Regional Police Command, has arrested four lotto fraudsters in the Volta Region.
The fraudsters are known for receiving various sums of money from their victims in order to stake lotto numbers for them, and after the draw, the four send photographs of fake winning coupons to their victims suggesting that they have won the lottery.
They are Godwin Agbenyefia, alias Demon, 19; Reuben Abusah, alias Last Burial, 20; Kelvin Kwame Abouzi, alias Kartel, 20; and Kingsley Adelekey, aged 21.
The accused persons were operating from Akatsi and Ho in the Volta Region.
Meanwhile, a circuit court in Ho, presided over by Felix Datsomor, has remanded the suspects in police custody to re-appear on September 23.
Offence
The NLA in a press statement said that the fraudsters had created several Facebook accounts, WhatsApp platforms and other social media platforms using the logo and pictures of staff of the National Lottery Authority and, sometimes, pictures of other people to defraud the unsuspecting public.
“It is very sad that these lotto fraudsters are able to convince people who want to be rich overnight to make mobile money transfers to them in exchange for fake winning lotto numbers,” NLA lamented in the statement.
The lotto fraudsters then demanded 20-40 per cent of the amount of money they claim the victims had won, insisting that needed to be satisfied before NLA would pay their winning tickets. Subsequently, after the victims had paid the lotto fraudsters with the percentage of the fake winning prize, the fraudsters would then quickly block the phone calls of their victims and vanish.
Sometimes, the lotto fraudsters managed to convince their victims to send money for registration to qualify for the leaked winning numbers.
Disclaimer
The Authority has therefore categorically pointed out that it has not designed any registration forms for the public to register for winning lotto numbers.
“The outcome of Lotto Draws are conducted in an open and transparent manner and the Draw is open to the general public for witnessing daily, except Sundays and public holidays. It is absolutely false that people and staff of the Authority have access to winning lotto numbers,” it added.
NLA has also commended the Volta Regional Police Command for the successful operation that led to the arrest of the fraudsters, adding that it will continue to collaborate with the Police and other relevant security agencies to arrest other lotto fraudsters across the country.
“However, it is the responsibility of the public to be more vigilant and discontinue engaging the services of the lotto fraudsters. Lotto is a game of chance and it is impossible to foretell winning numbers before Draws,” it cautioned.
Source: dailystatesman.com.gh
