Police in Kampala have netted and caged over 16 mobile telecom scammers for defrauding millions of shillings from unsuspecting victims in the name of lottery.
The tricksters are locked up in various police stations in Kampala following their arrest for lottery fraud over the weekend.
The suspects are Rhinex Mugerwa, Patrick Mubiru, Patrick Nsubuga Patrick, Ronald Lukwago, Solomon Luwaga, Brian Mukisa, Samuel Harenzi, Ashraf Lubogo, and Reagan Senyonga. Others are Sula Mujabi Kabangala, Nicholas, Ziwa Edrine Semakula, James Bilimuye, Alex Byaruhanga, and Omar Latifah.
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, notes that the tricksters were cubbed in an operation led by Thomas Kasimo, the Commandant of Crime Intelligence, following complaints from people who had fallen victim to the phone tricksters.
Enanga explains that the fraudsters operate by calling their victim claiming to be employees of telecom companies, they inform them how they have won huge sums of money, a car or flat television as prizes in a raffle from these companies which as MTN among others.
The tricksters then proceed to guide their victims to send them money as a commitment fee before they pick their prizes. Police say the tricksters always switch off their phones after receiving money from the unsuspecting victims.
Enanga says besides winning lottery tricks, they also call people who have relatives abroad claiming that their people have sent them packages, which need to be cleared at the Airport.
The Crime Intelligence team recovered 36 mobile phones and 14 Sim Cards from the suspects that were being used to call victims.
The group also had lists of names of various mobile money companies in Uganda.
