In 2016, a 19-year-old junior high school dropout, Michael Asare, was arrested for impersonating Christian Tetteh Yohuno, who was then the Director General in charge of Police Operations. Asare created a fake Facebook account using COP Yohuno’s name and photos to defraud desperate job seekers hoping to join the Ghana Police Service.
Using a cyber café in Agbozume, located in the Volta Region, Asare researched and downloaded COP Yohuno’s photos from the internet. He then set up a fake Facebook account in the police chief’s name and uploaded the stolen photos as his profile and cover pictures. Posing as the senior officer, Asare began communicating with unsuspecting victims, assuring them of recruitment into the police service. As the scam gained momentum, he extended his fraudulent activities to other victims, including individuals outside the country, from whom he sought financial assistance.
Through this deception, Asare managed to successfully defraud four victims, collecting a total of GH¢2,000 before the real COP Yohuno became aware of the situation. Upon realizing that his identity had been stolen for fraudulent purposes, the police chief immediately reported the matter to the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). The police launched an investigation and, through intelligence work, tracked the suspect to an internet café in Agbozume. On March 4, 2016, officers arrested Asare, who later confessed to the crime. During interrogation, he admitted that he had only managed to obtain GH¢2,000 from his victims, though police believed there could be more individuals who had fallen for the scam.
This case stands as a reminder of the dangers of online impersonation and fraud. It also highlights the swift response of law enforcement agencies in tackling cybercrime. Today, with Christian Tetteh Yohuno serving as Ghana’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), the fight against cyber fraud remains a top priority for the police service.
Source: modernghana.com