Federal Police Arrest 37 Suspects for Over 200 Million Birr Mobile Banking Fraud

The Ethiopian Federal Police have arrested 37 suspects accused of defrauding 658 citizens of over 200 million Birr through mobile banking schemes. The suspects organized themselves into groups and posed as bank support staff, calling victims to claim they had won prizes or needed to update their banking systems and link accounts with Fayda IDs, thereby extracting sensitive passwords and PINs. They operated by renting houses and utilizing multiple bank accounts and SIM cards registered under various individuals' names.

During the arrests, the police seized 9 vehicles, 114 mobile phones, and 478 SIM cards. The Federal Police have urged anyone who has been a victim of these scams to report incidents via the 991 hotline, the EFPApp, or by visiting the Criminal Investigation Directorate. Additionally, the police emphasized that banks do not call customers to request private banking information and warned the public to remain vigilant.