A phone-stealing criminal syndicate disguising as staff of telecommunication companies is operating in Abuja, latest victims who lost mobile phones have told the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).

Claiming to be recruiting young ladies who will dance and distribute fliers in an anniversary campaign for MTN for 3 days and promising payment between N7000 and N15,000 per day and gifts including data and airtime, one Engineer Mustapha said to have MTN’s identity card made away with victims’ phones when they were distracted.

“We were in the shop when a friend of mine whose sister works at ‘Sweet Princess Salon’ in Lugbe called that there was a guy looking for dancers and those who would walk around sharing posters and telling people about MTN… that MTN was celebrating its 30th anniversary,” one of the girls who asked not to be named told FIJ.

“So we went for the gig. When we got to the salon, they started painting our faces with green and white and put the logo of MTN on one side of our faces in preparation for the promo.The guy, Engineer Mustapha, said at the end of each day, dancers would be paid N15,000 while those distributing fliers would be paid N7,000.”

After makeup was applied on their faces, Mustapha ordered food for the ladies at a restaurant. On pretext that he was transferring data and airtime to their phones, he escaped with multiple smart phones. “He ordered food, drinks and snacks, which he paid for. He then called 3 of us to go with him to pack the food he ordered from the restaurant. On reaching there, they said the food was not yet ready. So we decided to wait for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, he told us he was going back to the salon where other girls were waiting, to see how things were going there.

“When we waited at the restaurant and he did not show up, we returned to the salon where they told us they had not seen him. He had gone with our phones. We even thought he went to see his boss because the owner of the salon said when the guy came, she spoke to his boss on the phone. But he never returned.”

One of the victims said that Mustapha stole 7 smart phones, but did not go with feature phones. “We thought he was sending an app through which he would transfer the data and airtime. Those using small phones, he collected and returned and told them they would receive a message, but they said they didn’t see any message,” the victim said. “We did not see him with a car, but we saw a car key with him.”

In reply to FIJ’s request for comments, MTN denied involvement in the scheme and advised that persons caught should be reported to security agencies. “I would like to inform you that we currently do not have such a promo that is ongoing and MTN is not involved in any of these skimming activities that result in perpetrators making away with phones belonging to unsuspecting individuals,” it stated.

SOURCE: https://fij.ng/article/criminal-syndicate-stealing-phones-in-abuja-using-fake-mtn-promotion/

The rate at which insecurity and crime is increasing in F.C.T is alarming. The other day it was Boko boys. So help us God.

Local man keep scamming locally

Make una chill abbeg.
Av sent my mehn after him.

Damn niggar

Why releasing your phone to a stranger?

New level of desperation all over.

The guy is a nice thief,he even paid for the foods , he's a nice guy

"We even thought he went to see his boss because the owner of the salon said when the guy came, she spoke to his boss on the phone. "


Parasites chose girls that'd go for 7000 dancing job. A type of man that would thief from a prostitute. tufiakwa

Phone swap for free meal