A 35-year-old caterer and hairdresser, Jessica Oforiwa, has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing GH₵81,060 from customers of GCB Bank through the use of cloned cheques. Her conviction has prompted renewed calls for banks and financial institutions to enhance vigilance and adopt stronger measures to combat ICT-enabled financial crimes.

The presiding judge underscored the growing sophistication of financial crimes and urged institutions to invest in advanced ICT systems while providing regular training to staff, especially tellers. These measures, the court emphasized, are essential for protecting both depositors and shareholders, which in turn is vital for maintaining public trust in the banking system.

Oforiwa was found guilty on seven charges, including abetment of crime and stealing, with the sentences to run concurrently. The court noted her age and first-time offender status but emphasized the premeditated nature of her crimes, as she played a critical role in assisting her accomplices to defraud the bank.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, highlighted the damaging impact of such crimes on financial institutions and the broader economy. He urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence that would help stem the rising tide of such fraudulent activities.

According to the prosecution, the investigation began after Daniel Boakye, a Security Coordinator at GCB Bank’s High Street branch in Accra, reported the discovery of cloned cheques in 2022. The fraudsters, including Oforiwa, had chemically erased the account details and signatures of legitimate customers, making the cheques appear authentic. This allowed them to withdraw substantial amounts from multiple accounts.

The prosecution provided details of several victims, including Rejoice Emekor Senezah, who lost GH₵12,000 on January 10, 2022, and Felcon Electrical Enterprise, which suffered a loss of GH₵47,460 on April 13, 2022. Investigations traced the source of the cloned cheques to Jesnat Cook Company, an account belonging to Oforiwa.

Oforiwa’s accomplices, Dawda Sawdido, Mohammed Muktar, Fuseini Saeed Ibrahim, Felix Mensah, Lawrence Quarshie, and Philip Ansah, remain at large. The court heard that these individuals withdrew significant sums from various bank branches. For instance, Felix Mensah withdrew GH₵47,460 on April 13, 2022, while others made withdrawals ranging from GH₵4,700 to GH₵5,000 on different dates.

The scheme began to unravel on August 1, 2022, when Philip Ansah and Livingston Ankomah successfully withdrew GH₵4,700 from the Kaneshie branch of GCB Bank. Their subsequent attempt to withdraw GH₵3,000 at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle branch raised suspicions, leading to their arrest. Ankomah confessed to his involvement, revealing that he acted on instructions from Ansah, and he was later jailed.

Oforiwa was arrested on December 24, 2022, by police in Kwahu Nkwatia. During questioning, she admitted to her role in the fraudulent withdrawals and implicated her boyfriend, Samuel Gyane Nyanteh, as a possible accomplice.

The case highlights the urgent need for financial institutions to strengthen their fraud detection systems and ensure vigilant monitoring of financial instruments.