The Mile 7 District Police Command has apprehended a 61-year-old woman, who has allegedly been using fake cheques to defraud traders.
Gladys Mawuko Zee often orders for food items and detergents in large quantities from the traders to be supplied to her shop and issues postdated fake SG-SSB cheques to the suppliers to withdraw the money at a later date, according to police reports.
Mawuko Zee used this modus operandi to defraud two victims to the tune of GH¢25,256 and bolted but she was later arrested by the police upon tip-off.
Confirming the story to DAILY GUIDE, Superintendent Ussif Tanko, the Mile 7 District Police Commander, said Madam Gladys was apprehended on Saturday, November 12, 2016 upon a tip-off by the police.
The complainant reported to the police on Friday, November 11 that Madam Gladys had visited his shop at Adabraka and purchased 100 cartons of bulldog energy drink valued at GH¢7,500.
She issued two SG-SSB cheques with face value of GH¢3,000 and GH¢4,500 to the complainant and asked him to withdraw the money on Monday, November 14, and 15 2016 respectively.
The complainant said he immediately took the cheques to the bank to verify if they were genuine but he was told they were not.
The suspect immediately reported the matter to the police which led to her arrest.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Gladys used the same modus operandi to defraud one Antwi Boasiako, who sells detergents, to the tune of GH¢17,756.
The Police uncovered that Gladys was part of a syndicate that has been using that to defraud unsuspecting victims.
“What they do is to hire a store for a week or two and then order for the items from the victims and issue the fake cheques. By the time, the victim will detect that the cheque issued is fake, the suspect would have relocated the items to another location and bolted, the police stated.
The suspect is in police custody assisting in investigations.
He called on traders to be wary of the new schemes of the fraudsters.