ADENTA POLICE GRAB FAKE ASHIE-MOORE

By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba

A 25 years old man has been arrested by the Adenta District police command for hacking into the face book account of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Adenta Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Mr. Emmanuel Nii Ashie-Moore and using him to defraud unsuspecting persons of the general public on the claims of securing them schools admission and job placement.

The suspect, Collins Amoah, unemployed was arrested on Saturday May 11, 2013 by a joint team of police and civilians at Madina, a suburb of Accra when he arranged to meet one of his victims and collect a GHC10, 000.00 in order to get her admission into the Pantang Nursing Training School.

Briefing the Media in his Office,  Adenta District Police Commander, DSP Stephen Kofi Ahiatafu , said on May 8, 2013  the MP for Adenta reported to the police that someone  has hacked into his face book account and using same to defraud many people.

He said according to the MP, one lady(name withheld) who was victim  to the suspect’s  activities called   at his house that she has received an email  message from  the MP  promising to secure  her  admission into the Pantange Nursing Training School.

But the MP denied  and became alarm after the lady has narrated the incident to him and he, the MP  together with the victim went to internet café and found out his name and pictures were been used by another person on the face book net.

DSP Ahiatafu noted that, the suspect in his modus of operate, also used Alhaji Collin Dauda pictures on a different account on the face book  and used same to communicate to his victims as if the two MP were in the  real people making the deal .

He said suspect Amoah used the MP face book account to promise and demand various sum  of money from his victims, ranging from GHC1,000-GHC50,000.00 in order to ether gain them admission into tertiary institutions or  gain employment.

The Adenta police Commander said on the 11^th  of May, 2013  at about  8:30 pm, the suspect  asked  the victim  to meet him at Madina with an amount of GHC10,000 which he(suspect) demanded in order to get admission for her.

He said when the victim agreed and at the spot where Amoah was about to take the money from the victim   he was arrested by the police with the help of the civilians and brought to the police station.

According to the police, during interrogation, suspect Amoah confessed to the crime and said that  that was his first time of operation.

DSP Ahiatafu said investigation was still ongoing after which the suspect would be charge and process before court for prosecution.

He however cautioned the youth to avoid the activities of using the social media for fraudulent activities, adding that those who failed to obey the law would not be spare when they are caught in such act.

He also advised the general public, especially persons in high public and private institutions and organization to maintain personals security in their social media in order to avoid been hack by criminals.

When Mr. Nii Ashie Moore, was contacted, he confirmed the incident and said after he had gone into his face book account, it was detected that the suspect has block his main account and created the fake account using his (MP) name, pictures and other personal information to defraud people.

He said the suspect has also succeeded in hacking into Hon. Collins Dauda , Minister for Water Resources , Work and Housing  and communicate  with people , as if he (Ashie-Moore) and  Collins Dauda was communicating.

According to the MP, as part of the activities of suspect(Amoah), all pictures about him (MP) has been uploaded onto the fake face book created in order to convince the public that he was the one on the net.

Mr. Ashie-Moore noted that, when the fake face book account was check, it was revealed that, the suspect has several bank accounts all over the world and using same to defraud people in his name and that of Alhaji Collins Dauda.

He said there was no point in time that he has asked some one to give him (MP) money to secure them school admission or find them jobs, adding that the issue is of national interest and the security agencies should take it up and investigates thoroughly to clean the system.

He also advised the general public, especially people from his constituency not to accept any message from any person either in his name or on his behalf, but deal with him personally at his office or parliament.