According to what a distressed lady sent to a popular blogger, OluFamous.Com detailing what she went through in the hands of fraudsters, there seems to be a new tactics these bad guy now use to rob innocent people of their hard earned money.
The lady, said she got a call around 7:38am that fateful day, (from a private phone number) but the voice at the other end was that of a family friend of hers and so it was familiar to her.
They exchanged pleasantries as they normally do and the caller at pleaded that he needed help and that it was only the lady (the victim) that could help him at that supposed critical time. He also gave her his new mobile phone numbers with the excuse that his other numbers were having issues.
There after, he gave a her friend’s number (09036182388) and asked that she call him. The friend’s name is Dr Ajayi and that Dr Ajayi will tell her the kind of help he needed.
Her story: “I got Dr Ajayi on phone, he sounded likable, old and friendly…
He told me that my family friend needed an international permit, and its urgent but he couldn’t do it, because he meet his father sick and he was going for surgery that morning. He said our family friend had sent in the equivalent of the amount I’m likely to spend along with other things I discussed privately with that my family friend when he was in Nigeria.
This really convinced me that Dr Ajayi won’t have known all this if our my friend hadn’t told him what I asked him to send me for my business. I tried calling ‘friend’ to verify what I discussed with Dr and the amount that was supposed to be spent for the international permit, but I couldn’t get him online.
Later his calls came through while I was still trying to reach him, he said I shouldn’t worry that Dr Ajayi is with his £1000 pound and it’s equivalent to what I may spend, he asked that I take the remaining balance for my wahala, told him it was no wahala and that the money was not the main issue, but I was glad to be able to help him out.
After the conversation, I called his friend who I’d spoken with earlier Dr Ajayi to find out how it was going, he then sent a description of how to get the form from one Babatunde Arigbabuwo Jeremiah who he said was a controller. To shorten the story, I paid in four hundred and ten thousand naira (N410,000) for a PIN which my friend constantly called to ask for, (the PIN was meant to be in the document I was expecting) as he needed it to proceed with procedure for the work permit.
Here’s what was sent to me by Dr Ajayi-:
Federal Royal Centre Ibadan Oyo State Western Command. D Name Of The Document International Permit Form. Ask Of 2 Copice Name Of Man Incharge Controller Babatunde His No 08063772047, Tell Him U Are Speaking On Behalf Chief Mrs Janet Ajayi aka Mama Kogi. Den Tel Him to send The Document To U Through Courier Express Or DHL From Ibadan To Lagos. Tell Him u want it to Get To U Before 3Pm Today So Dat I Will Pick Up From u Thanks.I was skeptical at first and even my financial institution tried to warn that it could be a scam, but the familiar voice of my family friend which I was used too kept reassuring me that there was no problem whatsoever. He thank me profusely when I paid in d 1st sum of N150,000 and then I stupidly dressed up, left my breakfast to pay in d 2nd installment of N260,000 because my friend was desperate to get the supposed PIN.
I waited for the courier service and Mr Babatunde kept reassuring me that I will get it before noon.
I waited all evening and night came, but no courier package and then both phones of Dr Ajayi and Babatunde were switched off when I tried to reach them. I also couldn’t get through to my family friend but later left several messages on WhatsApp number I was used too, but no replies, he didn’t even read them.
I then sent him an inbox
Hoping to hear an apology for not getting back and probably a reassurance that my money was intact and there was no cause for alarm, but instead he asked what happened in an alarming tone, and I reminded him of all that transpired between us in the morning, that it was him who had called me.
He went “omg omg” that he didn’t call me, that he never called or asked me for any help. I cried out with a loud sob, I was ashamed, I was mad at myself, I felt stupid and gullible, I told him but you called me, it was your voice, but he said No, he never did.
I told him the voice I heard was his and I asked how was it possible that the alleged impersonator knew all about me and all we both discuss In private, He said probably I was hacked or something, he said he was at the office and would call back later.
I later then called my sister, who I got to know the guy through and whom I should have called initially, I narrated my experience, but she said that the guy wouldn’t do such and has been too good to the family to do such. She later called the guy who maintained ignorance of the whole incident, he denied ever calling me and my sister apologized to him.
I had no evidence, it was the caller’s familiar voice against mine.
I ran to bank and I was asked to write an undertaking and they made copies of the tellers used for the transactions. I begged them to at least show me the face of the person who withdrew the money, but they refused as it was against their ethics.
I left the premises to my car. I stayed still for over 30mins, confused and helpless, went back home and cried my eyes out again. Then I remembered the signs were there but I did not yield to my feelings, it was like I had being remote controlled or jazzed.
See photos of the payment evidence below
